Pace bus drivers walk out

[cpfoutz]

bus rider wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree with you!!! Actually, I have seen their proposed contract, Pace has been without a contract for 2 years. which means they have not had a raise (cost of living or other) in over 2 years. If it were you...how would you feel? They aren't asking for a great deal more then what they had 2 years ago... they don't get a bonus at the end of the year, some people do. I know, why don't these people that are so angry, apply for a job driving a bus.

Again, I work for a bank...I don't get raises these days. I'm happy to have a job at this point. These guys are overpaid anyway...they can do without a few more raises. I heard somewhere that these guys start out around 50k a year...unfortunately I can't cite it...but 50k a year with cheap medical and a pension along with annual merit and cost of living raises (merit raise in the union world is code for seniority...you can sleep on the job and still get a merit raise...people aren't pegged based on their real performance like they are in the real world...the more seniority you have the more you can nap).

[Truthsayer]

Hmmm...Blagojevich makes a visit to Teamster City on Thursday, calls for a special session of the Legislature, and then the Teamsters go on strike on the busiest travel day of the year. Even Stevie Wonder can read that page of music. Blagojevich attempting to pressure the legislature by inconveniencing the public....Hmmm.

[LoRd tJ rOsS]

I have a feeling some of these post ers are Pace planted. Would not surprise me. the rest of you folks don't know the facts. Pace has the money. They have never raised the fares and are not intending to now with this "funding crisis" give me a break. It is a sham. a funding crisis means "political funding crisis". nothing more. These people are sham artists. CTA may have problems, but Pace is riding in their draft for their own gain. No crisis here. where is the fare increase proposal along with these route cuts Pace wants to implement? It is bullsh+t! The strike may have been untimely for the public who rides....TRUE. But what else is true is that pace has the ways and means to give the drivers a pension. IT IS A GAME. POLITICS is a game. What these drivers want has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with this ((cough cough)) funding crisis.

[LoRd tJ rOsS]

It's true, Pace was NOT intending to raise fares. I do know that of the 2 doomsday deadlines so far, their headquarters were out on the day before the "big meet'n" passing out fliers to passengers, telling them that pace will cut these routes "no matter WHAT! And both times, folded like an origami puppet the minute temporary funding was offered. They told people that their routes were GONE! Folks I know, went out and bought cars, thinking that this was gospel truth. Their purpose was for them to call and pressure their representatives. They pick the routes with people who are the most pro-active, who most likely would make such a call, and make it in the most effective and articulate manner. But a REAL crisis would HAVE TO include some sort of fare increase. The route cut threats were bullsh+t! Think about it.

[bus rider]

cpfoutz wrote:

<quoted text>
Again, I work for a bank...I don't get raises these days. I'm happy to have a job at this point. These guys are overpaid anyway...they can do without a few more raises. I heard somewhere that these guys start out around 50k a year...unfortunately I can't cite it...but 50k a year with cheap medical and a pension along with annual merit and cost of living raises (merit raise in the union world is code for seniority...you can sleep on the job and still get a merit raise...people aren't pegged based on their real performance like they are in the real world...the more seniority you have the more you can nap).

I don't know where the 50k comes from..pilots with airlines don't start off that high.... if you do work for the bank, then mabe you are doing their loans and know the salary..but 50k is maybe the start pay for the "bosses, mechanics... not drivers.. the starting salary for a driver is about 25-30..and then you have to be there darn near your whole life to reach 40k... and still drive a bus, the only difference is maybe you don't have to get up at 2am to start work at 4am with seniority.you actually can wake up at Your morning time, but you still have to deal with some unruly people who haven't taken a shower or bathed in days.. have you ever taken a bus? It is so much fun sitting next to some drunk, or odor infested person who makes 50k a year going into your bank.....These drivers only did what their union (who is a much better union then they originally had) told them to do. I do believe most of us had a cost of living raise of some sort or a christmas bonus...By the way, what is your christmas bonus going to be? check out what you started making at your bank you work at, and what do you make now?

[Paladin]

It is amazing how the "know-nothings" include Pace ridership with "the busiest travel day of they year". Obviously, these folks have never ridden a Pace bus on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. If they had, they would immediately notice that the bus stops in no way resemble the airports in crowd size. In fact, ridership on that day is so low on most Pace bus routes that many drivers are forced to crawl along their routes to prevent being ahead of schedule. The Friday following Thanksgiving is much busier than any normal day. It has always been this way. Still, it is the crowd-following "know-nothings" who rant and vent on topics such as this who definitely and literally are "not on board" when it comes to public transportation.

[DOWN THE TUBES]

These people need to get a clue, its for this very same reason that people from other countries are beating us on everything. Its not your RIGHT as an american to have a job, you must earn it like everyone in our history has done. Thanks to people like them this country will lose a little bit of itself every time. Welcome to the new third world!!!!!!!!!!

[DOWN THE TUBES]

TO THE IDIOT KEN WHO POSTED EARLIER.
1) YOU ADMITTED THAT UNION BOSSES ARE CORRUPT AND UNREASONABLE
2) YOU SAY THE "BOSSES" AND MANAGMENT WILL REAP THE REWARDS WHILE YOU LOWLY LITTLE UNION WORKERS GET PISSED ON.
TO YOU AND YOUR SO CALLED BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE UNION "GET BETTER JOBS OR CHANGE BOSES" THATS THE F'N POINT OF A UNION TO MAKE THE CHANGES NEEDED THROUGH DELIBERATION AND IF THAT DONT WORK WELL THEN WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD OFF WORK
UNION= LAZY AMERICAN BASTARDS HWHO THINK ITS THERE RIGHT TOO HAVE A JOB RATHER THEN EARN IT

[Slim Zim]

No raise in 2 years? I'm sure the corporate slobs @ Pace couldn't go 2 months without a raise!!! Good job drivers!

[cpfoutz]

bus rider wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't know where the 50k comes from..pilots with airlines don't start off that high.... if you do work for the bank, then mabe you are doing their loans and know the salary..but 50k is maybe the start pay for the "bosses, mechanics... not drivers.. the starting salary for a driver is about 25-30..and then you have to be there darn near your whole life to reach 40k... and still drive a bus, the only difference is maybe you don't have to get up at 2am to start work at 4am with seniority.you actually can wake up at Your morning time, but you still have to deal with some unruly people who haven't taken a shower or bathed in days.. have you ever taken a bus? It is so much fun sitting next to some drunk, or odor infested person who makes 50k a year going into your bank.....These drivers only did what their union (who is a much better union then they originally had) told them to do. I do believe most of us had a cost of living raise of some sort or a christmas bonus...By the way, what is your christmas bonus going to be? check out what you started making at your bank you work at, and what do you make now?

1) we do not get Christmas bonuses. 2) I've been through two years at the bank and gotten three raises, one was a promotion...two annual raises at 2% each and 1 promotion with a 5% raise. All of those were before the real estate bubble bursted.

What do a base my assessment on? 2 years ago I saw a report on TV stating garbage collectors start off at 50k a year. My brother knew some Metra conductors and knew they were making around 85-100k a year after quite a few years of service. Can't imagine bus drivers make much less.

[cpfoutz]

BTW...unionized pilots make at least 85k a year...Southwest pilots start lower because they are not unionized. I know pilots that, 15 years ago, were making 200k a year flying for American (granted they had many years of experience). These guys didn't work more than 20 or 30 hours a month.

[bus rider]

cpfoutz wrote:

<quoted text>
1) we do not get Christmas bonuses. 2) I've been through two years at the bank and gotten three raises, one was a promotion...two annual raises at 2% each and 1 promotion with a 5% raise. All of those were before the real estate bubble bursted.
What do a base my assessment on? 2 years ago I saw a report on TV stating garbage collectors start off at 50k a year. My brother knew some Metra conductors and knew they were making around 85-100k a year after quite a few years of service. Can't imagine bus drivers make much less.

see, you even got a raise..Though, I think these bus drivers do pick up a lot of "garbage"..they are no were near what garbage men make..and Train conductors are definately different than Bus Drivers.I agree Union Employees seem to have a better chance of getting more benefits,(more politics)..but bus drivers unless they are working double shifts make about $18 to $19.00 an hour (but this is someone with 20-30 yrs at the company).

[bus rider]

cpfoutz wrote:

BTW...unionized pilots make at least 85k a year...Southwest pilots start lower because they are not unionized. I know pilots that, 15 years ago, were making 200k a year flying for American (granted they had many years of experience). These guys didn't work more than 20 or 30 hours a month.

Pilots.....well that is a different story, Just like you got raises before the real estate market took a hit, Pilots made alot of money, they too have hit a max... that was then....this is now, not the case anymore..I do agree..
I think we all should get a job with the Post Office, now that has some benefits!!!

[cpfoutz]

wait a second...you say pilots different story...yet you compared them to pilots. What are your sources that bus drivers make so little? I cited my sources.

As for my raises...I don't consider 2% a raise (the promotion came with extra responsibility and hours...and no I'm not paid hourly)...and if that's what raises were during good times, they will be zero now during bad times. My point...every one has their down times where they are happy to have a job.

[Bus Driver]

I recently came across this thread and I am a School Bus Driver who supported the PACE Drivers in this action. I noticed that some people here took some sort offence that the drivers were taking a stand for them and their families.

Q) Was it the intent of the PACE Drivers to put a cramp in everyones day?

A) No, it wasn't

Q) Was this an 'attack' on the ridership as it seemed some of you took it?

A) Again, No.

What it was, was an effort to show the MANAGEMENT of PACE that the routes & drivers were needed. Needed by you and others in the community.

On a personal note, to everyone that thinks that driving a bus is easy work and great pay. You are greatly mistaken... Us bus drivers have an awsome amount of responiblity place upon us. I can't speak for all bus drivers, but I know there are a lot of School Bus Drivers who don't even make $20,000 a year, but your garbage collector makes $40,000...$50,000...$60,000 and more a year. It is sad to see that people value their garbage more than their children.

[Anonymous]

I will say this in defense of you drivers. OK, driving a bus will be a major pain in the ass because it's big and car drivers darting around and driving the bus requires patience. Also, the Pace management leaves a LOT to be desired. I'm saying this from a passenger viewpoint.

Those TV sets have got to go. Also, why do they remove that fan belt disabling the A/C still during when you still need it? Save a shot of diesel per run? That alone shows the cheapskate nature of the management. And don't forget that the management can't think of installing a valve that will actually shut off those baseboard heaters that bog down an already inadequate A/C system when they do allow it to work.

It's easy to consider the "high" wages to be in large part mental anguish pay. If you drivers can rack up 2 round trips to the moon plus a few orbits' worth of miles without a wreck, more power to you all.