Author Topic: Still not enough... IMO.  (Read 986 times)

Offline Toad

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Still not enough... IMO.
« on: February 21, 2002, 11:28:49 AM »
United contract with mechanics no industry breaker

"United's most senior mechanics would be paid $35.14 per hour, a few cents more than those at any of the other major U.S. carriers. The mechanics had not had a pay raise since 1994."

Highly skilled labor.. highly... working indoors and outdoors in all kinds of weather from blazing hot to freezing cold, rain or shine.

Fixing minor things for passenger comfort on 4 hour flights to major things that will kill folks if not detected and repaired prior to flight.

... and they pay them about what landscapers get to mow lawns around here.

It's not enough.  

IMO.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!

Offline AKDejaVu

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2002, 11:31:29 AM »
I heard this on the news the other day and was totally amazed at how little the maximum salary was.  $35/hr may sound like alot... just not for a skilled labor job where someone has 20 years of experience.  Its quite pathetically low.

Hell... our technicians top out much higher than that.

AKDejaVu

Offline AKDejaVu

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2002, 11:32:06 AM »
I also believe Creamo is overpaid.

AKDejaVu

Offline Nifty

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2002, 11:34:58 AM »
That's much more than my mom makes and much more than the people I work with make.

Mom's a nurse and I work with teachers.   A LOT of important professions are underpaid, bro.

btw, $35.14/hr is about $72,000/yr gross.  I think my mom makes half of that, with 25 years under her belt at the same hospital.  Not saying that the senior mechanics shouldn't get a raise, just saying they aren't the only ones.
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Offline Ripsnort

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« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2002, 11:38:07 AM »
My wife makes less than that, caring for critical care patients, doing things that doctors did 15 years ago (RN's do ALOT of things that only doctors did 15 years ago).Personally, I think that wage could be the end of Privately owned aircraft business (Aeroflot USA?) At Boeing, overpaid union machinist has led to over 60% offload to cheaper, non-union companies, and over-seas offload.  The new Sonic Cruiser will be primarily built overseas, and only assembled in the USA, due to overpaid union workers.  I know, I was one at one time, I always felt that I was overpaid for the job I did.

Offline miko2d

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Re: Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2002, 11:41:00 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Toad
... and they pay them about what landscapers get to mow lawns around here.


 Wow! $70,000 a year for mowing the lawns? Where is that? A graduate with a Masters degree would be happy to get $50,000 starting salary and $70,000 after a few years in New York - and that is a pretty expencive place to live with higher salaries then the rest of the country.

 I bet that search for salary levels will show landscapers making much less then $70,000 a year.
 I would pay a guy $5-10/hour to mow the lawn if I had any.

 miko

Offline Kieran

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2002, 11:41:52 AM »
Yup, I make a bit over $25 and hour, and I have 17 years experience. Not saying mechanics are overpaid, but as has been stated, it's the same all over outside of entertainment and sports.

Offline AKDejaVu

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2002, 11:42:08 AM »
Dunno about that Nifty.  My mother in law just got RN two years ago.  She started at $26/hr.  She'll easily top $40 in 10 years.

I look at my father's job.  He's been a truck driver for nearly 40 years (with UPS).  He's pushing about $30/hr.  That is not a skilled labor job.  He also gets 8 weeks of vacation a year in addition to holiday pay.

Skilled labor is skilled labor.  Repairing jet engines is not child's play, nor is maintaining navigational equipment.  I just can't see not rewarding people for having the necessary skillset to excell in that field.

AKDejaVu

Offline miko2d

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2002, 11:48:00 AM »
Yahoo careers:
low(25%ile), median, high (75%ile)
 Aircraft mechanic (jet) $44,900  $52,249  $59,948
 Aircraft Mechanic (non-jet)  $38,908  $43,511  $50,330
 Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic $36,843  $39,600  $46,332
 Aircraft Engine Mechanic  $31,887  $34,736  $37,629

miko

Offline Nifty

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2002, 11:49:01 AM »
guess it's where ya live, deja.  tho mom might be up to $20/hr.  I'm near 100% positive she's not at $26/hr after 25 years (where your mom-in-law started at).  

you should increase any salary figure in my area by 10-15% to scale it.  Cost of living here is cheap.  I pay $535 month for a 1100sq ft 2 bed 2 bath apartment in a nice part of P'Cola.  My stepbro pays $800+ for a 1 bed 1 bath in Boyton Beach FL.  He'd pay even more if he lived in Boca Roton where is job actually is.
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Offline AKDejaVu

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2002, 11:53:37 AM »
That's kinda the point Nifty.  In most professions pay is scaled based on cost of living in the area.

The $35/hr is a hard ceiling for their entire maintenance industry.  That's just plain wrong.

AKDejaVu

Offline Raubvogel

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2002, 11:54:34 AM »
$35/hr isn't enough? Wish I didn't earn enough....

Offline Toad

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« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2002, 11:55:00 AM »
Look around, Rip.

There's a LOT of non-union "overpaid workers" as well as Union "overpaid workers". We call them the "American Middle Class".

Those Union jobs are getting outsourced overseas to lower paid workers.. yep.

Now ask yourself this:  Did those "overpaid" US Union workers have anything to do with making the US the most desirable market in the world for all sorts of consumer goods?

Did those "overpaid" US Union workers have anything to do with the creation of the US "middle class"? Without the US "middle class", would the lifestyle here be as desirable as it has become?

Why were those jobs outsourced again? So the corporation could make more money right? More profit?

When Boeing outsourced did the price of aircraft go down? No, it did not. Boeing just raked in the profit and the bosses all took nice bonuses, didn't they? Stockholders got just enough to keep them quiet.

When Chevy started building Suburbans in Mexico, did Suburbans get cheaper? Ah.. Nope.

Where's this benefit we consumers are continually promised? Oh, THAT'S RIGHT.. if we didn't outsource the corporations would screw us to an even GREATER degree for the things they want to sell us. Anyone here think a Suburban is REMOTELY worth $45,000? It's said GM makes in excess of $8000 on each Suburban.. not the dealer, GM. The Dealer is getting his cut on top of that.

Dang those Union guys. They keep wanting a decent lifestyle in the US market.. that cr*p has to STOP! Only MANAGEMENT should have access to nice homes and good schools!

You do remember the bonuses Wolf and Gangwahl took the year US Air had horrendous losses and they told the F/A's there was no money for a raise (even though the F/A's had had no raise for something like 8 years?)

When all US high-paying jobs are outsourced to foreign workers, what will happen to the US "middle class" and the US consumer goods market? You already know the answer, don't you?

This economy doesn't work if we're all serving hamburgers to each other in the service industry. If this economy doesn't work, odds are the world economy won't work either. You're seeing it right now.

You know, there's alot of folks want to outsource airline aircraft "letter check" maintenance to overseas repair hubs. Like Taiwan.. you know the place.. the place where all those "aircraft grade bolts" that are made from melted coathangers come from. Funny thing is the FAA doesn't think that's really a good idea... wonder why?

Lastly, answer this "chicken or the egg" question:

Which came FIRST.... bad management or unions?

Asked another way:

Do reasonably happy workers join unions?

You know the answer to both don't you?  ;)
« Last Edit: February 21, 2002, 12:04:12 PM by Toad »
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!

Offline Toad

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Re: Re: Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2002, 12:00:28 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by miko2d


 Wow! $70,000 a year for mowing the lawns? Where is that?
 miko


Kansas City area.

Let it be known I mow my own lawn.. takes me about 40 minutes.

However, my neighbors are paying right at a dollar a minute for a guy to mow and blow the clippings.

Guy was a mid level techie at Sprint and got caught in a downsize. Decided he didn't want to work for ANYONE ever again. Started his own business. First year he had to quit taking customers. Works 5 days a week only, says he does about 6 hours a day mowing.

Won't take any more customers until somebody leaves his service.

I know a few others just like him.. one that only does the fertilizing/bug killing thing for lawns. That guy is a big-time fisherman too.. has lots of time to fish. Used to be a corporate wage slave like a lot of folks.

So, yeah.. it's out there.. if you're sharp enough to find it.
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!

Offline fd ski

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Still not enough... IMO.
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2002, 12:04:50 PM »
wow toad, you sound like a commie !!! :D

75k/year is a good wage ANYWHERE IN USA.
Isn't national average something like 25k/yeah ?

What happend to the good old "capitalism" let "supply/demand" do thier thing ?

I'm with miko on that one.