Or, rather, it could be said that it pays to be unionized and insist on overtime. Today’s Examiner has all the details concering Overtime Pay and the Metro, which doled out over $100k to train and bus drivers who worked overtime. Moreover, the way that Metro’s overtime system works, it adds to the employee’s pension benefits for their overtime:
Metro Board of Directors member Ray Bricuso said the rich overtime system “needs to stop. An employee who makes $65,000 can work a lot of overtime their final years on the job and make $100,000 a year. That would increase their annual pension to about $80,000 for what is really a $65,000 job.”
Boy wouldn’t that be nice.
What I really want to know is: If those guys are making $65k/yr to drive the train, should the stops be a little smoother? Shouldn’t the voices coming from the speakers be a little more audible and understandable? If the human factor is what makes Metro great, and I would agree that the strength in the system is its people, then shouldn’t we also see an increase in the skills of our system’s employees? Too many trains I’ve been on stop in a herky-jerky way, throwing passengers willy nilly, occasionally resulting in accidental contact. But, for $100k? I would expect perfect stops and perfect starts.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
