My response:If we are going to keep comparing the MTC drivers to the suburban bus company drivers, I'd like to see some more valid data points to use for comparison. Simply comparing the top pay of the MTC pay scale to the top pay of the suburban pay scale is comparing apples to oranges.
Since the drivers are paid well. I am surprised you (and others on this board) focus your anger solely at the Gov & Met Council. Compared to other cities and local private companies, the MTC drivers make $6 to $9/hour more per hour (when comparing top pay). That is 27% to 41% more!
If you REALLY care about the poor, you must be upset at both sides of this strike. BOTH appear selfish to me. If you choose one side, then you have a political agenda.
As Wizard Marks already made abundantly clear, the jobs are rather dramatically different for an MTC bus driver who drives a route down Lake Street, and a Southwest transit driver who drives from Chaska to downtown once during rush hour.
What I'd like to know, in order to really compare the two pools of drivers, are these things for both MTC and for several of the suburban companies:
1. Starting salary.
2. Starting requirements -- i.e. minimum employment requirements and minimum training.
3. Median salary.
4. Average salary.
5. Benefits (health, vacation, holiday, etc.). If different by seniority, broken out.
6. On-going training.
7. Route characteristics: urban miles versus highway miles, stops per mile.
8. Average working day. Hours, split shift, etc.
9. Average workers compensation claims per each pool.
10. Average accidents per year per pool.
I'm guessing the average MTC driver is more experienced, better trained, drives a more challenging route, and most of all, really only makes a tiny bit more than the average suburban driver. Most MTC drivers are not paid the top rate (as used in comparison by Bill in his post above, and by others as well).
Chris Johnson Fulton
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