[darkpuppet]

So on your way to work for your $50k/year job, you pay $2.75 for the privelege of riding the bus or subway.

You often give that money to some poor schlep working a booth who made it one step up from his dream of becoming a Janitor...or so you thought

he's not so poor afterall..

Quote:TTC Defends Worker Who Earned $100,000 With Overtime Pay
Wednesday April 2, 2008
CityNews.ca Staff

The TTC is up and running as the talks with two big unions remain on track at a Richmond Hill hotel. The fact a strike deadline came and went on Tuesday is a good sign that you may not find your ride interrupted in the near future.

But whatever happens in the negotiations, it seems likely those who toil for the Red Rocket are in for a raise. Whether that will eventually translate into yet another fare hike is still be determined. But if it does, expect the public outcry to be backed by a stunning new fact: the revelation that a TTC collector earned $100,000 by working more than 1,000 hours of overtime last year.

Candido Barreiro earned his keep by volunteering to take the extra shifts and the fact a man who would normally pull down just $54,000 annually was so well rewarded for his efforts came as a shock to most riders.

I never realized how much these people get paid to sit and try not to think of anything too stimulating all day...

[ANTHONYD]

And still. they're the most miserable fu cks I've EVER encountered.

[Aka]

1000 hours OT? isn't that like a 60 hour week, every week?

[NOS2Go4Me]

As if that's still a secret (collector being one of the most coveted jobs)? My old high school buddy (ex-best friend)'s dad drove for them for years but what he always wanted was to collect at a booth. Pay that's almost as good with almost no stress.

[FocusGuy7476]

they pay income tax on that as well, they aren't getting any of that back.

[darkpuppet]

FocusGuy7476,Apr 2 2008, 04:10 PM Wrote:they pay income tax on that as well, they aren't getting any of that back.
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we all pay income taxes... so what if he's bumped up a tax bracket? I'd be bumped up to that tax bracket if I made that kind of money too..

[OAC_Sparky]

In their defense, overtime is overtime.

I work at least 60 hours a week, I nearly double my salary. But that's my choice, I sacrifice my time and health and my family life to get ahead. Do you think my time is free? I would assume no matter where you work you would expect to get paid for the time you put in.

If you work a 40 hour week, are self-employed, that's your decision. Overtime premium is a labour law requirement.

Instead of pointing in amazement at the dollar figure, understand the time these people put in. Many, many companies would rather pay people overtime than hire more people because the fixed cost of benefits, vacation, pensions, etc. cost more than the overtime they pay.

Example 1.

Company X pays two employees each $50G a year plus $25G a year in benefits, pensions and associated administrative and tax costs (CPP, health tax, workman's comp insurance, vacation time, vacation pay). So the normal workload cost is $75G each for a total cost under normal circumstances of $150G. But because the company is busy instead of hiring a third person, they offer each employee 20 hours extra a week to make up the 40 manhours. Overtime premium, their gross will increase by 85% to about $90G for each, but the $25 benefits stay the same. Total cost for two people doing the work of 3: $230G

Example 2

Company Y is busy, hires a third person, each work 40 hours. Cost: $75G x 3 =$225G, so they save $5G more than Company X. Company slows down, now they have extra baggage. Total cost, $225G, $75G more than company X. Lay one guy off, a lot of companies are still on the hook for benefits for a time. That guy might now take all his training and all that money you invested in him and go work elsewhere, and the next time things get busy, you have to hire and train someone all over again.

[oldeguy]

Okay, being a "Government Employee" myself, not for the TTC though.... we shouldn't just look at the fact the guy has a job that's probably extremely boring, and at times also abusive, being sworn at, yelled at, spit at....etc.. I'm sure the guy who made the money was covering for sick calls, vacations etc. The TTC, not the guy who made the money should be looked at, as to why there is a need for that much overtime. My Brother-in-law is a driver, and he gets MANDATORY overtime, not because he wants it, but because the TTC says he has to. It's probably cheaper for the TTC to pay the overtime, than to hire a new employee. In my work, we get overtime, and if you looked in the "magic book" that gives the list of $100,000 plus, you'll find a few plumbers, electricians, roofers etc. ( no Caretakers though ) because there are times when work cannot get done at regular times, and not everyone wants to do the extra work. Maybe the TTC guy is either near retirement, and needs the money or he has no other life. If your employer would let you work all kinds of hours and pay you large sums of cash, I don't see a problem. After all, look at Bryan McCabe............ :o

[darkpuppet]

I wouldn't begrudge someone for working overtime..

However, I was surprised at the salary they command. It's not bad, in fact, I would say it's quite good.

The difference between my base salary and his doesn't even offset the cost of my schooling -- making the assumption that he didn't go to university for 4 years to be a fare collector of course.

And if a premium for working OT is required by the labour laws... I'm getting screwed because I don't, and my hours have been audited by the feds everytime I go over the 60 hour/week (average) maximum (9 out of the 10 previous years!)

that time and a half makes a big difference. I had to work that much more than the fare collector in this example to make less than him... so I'm a bit envious of that..

[darkpuppet]

BTW.. if I get the promotion I'm looking for, I'll get a raise and end up making less, because I'll no longer be compensated for my overtime (assumed that my higher salary compensates me for my OT already).

[meford4u]

darkpuppet,Apr 2 2008, 03:51 PM Wrote:I wouldn't begrudge someone for working overtime..

However, I was surprised at the salary they command.  It's not bad, in fact, I would say it's quite good.

The difference between my base salary and his doesn't even offset the cost of my schooling -- making the assumption that he didn't go to university for 4 years to be a fare collector of course.

And if a premium for working OT is required by the labour laws... I'm getting screwed because I don't, and my hours have been audited by the feds everytime I go over the 60 hour/week (average) maximum (9 out of the 10 previous years!)

that time and a half makes a big difference.  I had to work that much more than the fare collector in this example to make less than him... so I'm a bit envious of that..
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I'm not even going to tell you that my "base" salary is $20k over his.

I'm off to da bank.

[mo_focus]

This guy is making 30$/hr and put in 20 hrs extra OT time over a week.

So lets brake it down a bit;
100k total salary-54k annualy=46K of overtime
46K/1000hrs= 46$/hr OT since 46$ is 1.5OT = aprox. 30$/Hr Regular pay

As people have stated above this is not much for a guy who has to put up with abuse on a daily basis. This is obviosuly just a guestimate so you never know how much he really makes or how much of that OT is 1.5times or 2 times.

[oldeguy]

darkpuppet,Apr 2 2008, 04:51 PM Wrote:I wouldn't begrudge someone for working overtime..

However, I was surprised at the salary they command.  It's not bad, in fact, I would say it's quite good.

The difference between my base salary and his doesn't even offset the cost of my schooling -- making the assumption that he didn't go to university for 4 years to be a fare collector of course.

And if a premium for working OT is required by the labour laws... I'm getting screwed because I don't, and my hours have been audited by the feds everytime I go over the 60 hour/week (average) maximum (9 out of the 10 previous years!)

that time and a half makes a big difference.  I had to work that much more than the fare collector in this example to make less than him... so I'm a bit envious of that..
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Please don't take this the wrong way, but, the guy has a Union job. I too have a union job, at least my full-time job is a union job, my part-time job, for doing basically the same thing, except for a different employer, is almost one third of the wage per hour with no overtime or extra cash for working over the scheduled time . If your a salaried employee, or a contracted employee, unless it's in your contract, you don't get the overtime. Where the issue with your working over the 60 hours, ( is it still that) I'm sure if you went to your employer and reminded them of the labour laws, they'd probably find someone else to complete the job. Which sucks. The guy at the TTC, without working overtime makes more than I do, when I work my regular week, plus overtime, so maybe I should be envious too, but I'm not, because I think that in my job, I'm doing something that helps the customers, (the public )

[oldeguy]

I'm not even going to tell you that my "base" salary is $20k over his.

I'm off to da bank.
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[/quote]
But you guys have to deal with cheap accountants, dumb engineers and people like yourself ( kidding) and you have to make sure the product doesn't fall apart too soon, so you guys deserve the money you are awarded.

[darkpuppet]

not like I was looking to really make any point other than I'm surprised at how much some folks make for the services I perceive them as providing.

[darkpuppet]

oldeguy,Apr 2 2008, 05:15 PM Wrote:

Quote:I'm not even going to tell you that my "base" salary is $20k over his.

I'm off to da bank.
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But you guys have to deal with cheap accountants, dumb engineers and people like yourself ( kidding) and you have to make sure the product doesn't fall apart too soon, so you guys deserve the money you are awarded.
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not to mention the costs of XXXXXXXL coveralls. :P

I can joke, because I'm still fatter than him

[oldeguy]

darkpuppet,Apr 2 2008, 05:15 PM Wrote:not like I was looking to really make any point other than I'm surprised at how much some folks make for the services I perceive them as providing.
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I know it's probably very frustrating to see the wages some people make. But, the guy's brain is probably going to mush, not using it at work.

[OAC_Sparky]

darkpuppet,Apr 2 2008, 04:55 PM Wrote:BTW.. if I get the promotion I'm looking for, I'll get a raise and end up making less, because I'll no longer be compensated for my overtime (assumed that my higher salary compensates me for my OT already).
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I'm not disagreeing that you may deserve more, but unfortunately, you've chosen the career path you have. You went to school (chose to do that) got a job for the company working in your chosen occupation. You have to also weigh the positives to your job over what someone else has.

Compensation "not covering the cost of the schooling" is somewhat moot, as a doctor can't really complain about the cost of med school, a lawyer complaining about law school.

You should have had some idea of the compensation when you chose your career.

Getting into a company like the TTC or a government job is a craps shoot at best. It's hard to get into Ford without a post-secondary education now. Many, many people have degrees that work on the line.

[NikiterZTS]

damn 54K for doing what he does?.........im impressed......

[OAC_Sparky]

darkpuppet,Apr 2 2008, 05:15 PM Wrote:not like I was looking to really make any point other than I'm surprised at how much some folks make for the services I perceive them as providing.
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At least you admit it's "perception". Personally I would hate a job sitting on my can driving a bus. I hate Toronto traffic on a good day. Dealing with the smells, language barriers, the stress, and Toronto psychos, I sure wouldn't do it for $15 an hour.