You know, they bring up labor unions, and they are RIGHT.
$6 an hour my husband gets in a 'vacation fund'. Payout 2x a year. Since there are no sick/vacation days, it's our fun money.
Quite a bit goes into a pension, an annuity, and kick ass benefits. We get a statement every year of this GORGEOUS nest egg we are building. When it comes to benefits, they vote on 'em. Glasses? Braces? Meds? Gym memberships? Disability and life insurance? SURE! Since they pick the benefits, they are willing to accept the higher costs. They get a raise 2x a year. They had the entire raise (granted just a buck or so an hour, but remember it's a FREQUENT raise) go straight into the bennies package.
Sure they could vote to get a lot more 'on the check'. But they don't. With a job that pretty much requires early retirement, and some rather worn out bodies at the end of the career, they like having their nice cushy pensions and annuities to fall back on. I do believe the total benefit package is $29 per hour, according to the Davis Bacon Wage Determination website (has the wages for most, if not all, building trades in the USA and PR). Most people would cry to see that much going away. But because they know exactly what they are getting from it, and have a say (if they get their butts to meetings), they're pretty happy. Oh yeah and the international gets $40 a month which goes towards a smaller pension and death benefit.
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Date: 2006-12-18 05:54 pm (UTC)$6 an hour my husband gets in a 'vacation fund'. Payout 2x a year. Since there are no sick/vacation days, it's our fun money.
Quite a bit goes into a pension, an annuity, and kick ass benefits. We get a statement every year of this GORGEOUS nest egg we are building. When it comes to benefits, they vote on 'em. Glasses? Braces? Meds? Gym memberships? Disability and life insurance? SURE! Since they pick the benefits, they are willing to accept the higher costs. They get a raise 2x a year. They had the entire raise (granted just a buck or so an hour, but remember it's a FREQUENT raise) go straight into the bennies package.
Sure they could vote to get a lot more 'on the check'. But they don't. With a job that pretty much requires early retirement, and some rather worn out bodies at the end of the career, they like having their nice cushy pensions and annuities to fall back on. I do believe the total benefit package is $29 per hour, according to the Davis Bacon Wage Determination website (has the wages for most, if not all, building trades in the USA and PR). Most people would cry to see that much going away. But because they know exactly what they are getting from it, and have a say (if they get their butts to meetings), they're pretty happy. Oh yeah and the international gets $40 a month which goes towards a smaller pension and death benefit.