Tim Stevens, B-PEP complain about house demolitions (Pittsburgh, Mars: tax lien, for sale)

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

The Wal-mart employee handbook is online, if you want to check it out yourself.

But, really, I don't think that Wal-mart pays its associates any less than a lot of other retailers around here including union ones like Giant Eagle.

Really? Union grocery store jobs in CA pay much higher than Walmart and have good benefits. Walmart typically pays minimum wage.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by juliegt

Really? Union grocery store jobs in CA pay much higher than Walmart and have good benefits. Walmart typically pays minimum wage.

Most UFCW contracts nationwide have been two tiered. The remaining full-time workers still have excellent wages and good benefits, but part-timers get none of this, and the use of part-timers has proliferated. The only appreciable benefit they get for being in the union is access to the grievance procedure, which means if they get disciplined or fired, they can appeal.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Most UFCW contracts nationwide have been two tiered. The remaining full-time workers still have excellent wages and good benefits, but part-timers get none of this, and the use of part-timers has proliferated. The only appreciable benefit they get for being in the union is access to the grievance procedure, which means if they get disciplined or fired, they can appeal.

The Safeways and Luckys in the Bay Area still pay better even for part-time newbies than Walmart does. I know young people my kids' age who work at Safeway and Lucky who make a decent hourly wage, but this may be because the stores are in the Bay Area and have to do it to attract employees. Not sure about benefits. I do remember that full-time jobs used to have all their health insurance premiums paid for by the company and it was a big issue during a strike a few years ago. I remember that new employees were going to have to pay a portion of the health insurance premium, part of that two-tier contract that you mentioned. More of the squeeze on middle class jobs that we were talking about in another thread.

[SteelCityRising]

I worked at two different Lowe's locations in Northeastern PA during college. When I left in early-2009 to move to VA I was making close to $11.50/hr. plus commissions while working in the Inside Seasonal department (i.e. grills, lawn tractors, snow blowers, etc.). That's not bad at all for a 22-year-old retail warrior, and it was certainly much better than what most "sales associates" at Wal-Mart typically earn. Lowe's treated me like a family member, and to this day I always drive to the Lowe's in the Waterfront, which is out of the way, in order to patronize it over the Home Depot in East Liberty. If Lowe's, a much smaller company than Wal-Mart, can compensate its employees fairly, then why not Wal-Mart?

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

. If Lowe's, a much smaller company than Wal-Mart, can compensate its employees fairly, then why not Wal-Mart?

Wages are determined by the work which is needed to be done, as well as the local labor market, not the size of the company.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

.

Yes, Wal-Mart has done so much for the good of our country. The second largest employer in our state, where minimum wage prevails, has really increased living standards. The extinction of local business, and the availability of cheap Chinese goods at the expense of products made in America and American jobs have really helped, too.

I pretty much hate Wal-Mart as much as SCR hates Cranberry.

[PreservationPioneer]

The city needs to find a more efficient way to deal with abandoned properties. Waiting years until they have deteriorated to the point of no return and then demolishing them is not the answer. What can we do to prevent properties from becoming abandoned, or motivate owners to sell instead of walking away? How can we document the conditions and vacancy rates of housing in the neighborhoods, so that when an abandonment occurs, steps can be taken to protect the building and re-sell it? When demolition is necessary, can we verify that the building is not historically or architecturally significant before demolition occurs? What options can be found to preserve abandoned buildings that have significance or are a necessary part of the urban fabric?

[aw_now_what]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

The city needs to find a more efficient way to deal with abandoned properties. Waiting years until they have deteriorated to the point of no return and then demolishing them is not the answer. What can we do to prevent properties from becoming abandoned, or motivate owners to sell instead of walking away? How can we document the conditions and vacancy rates of housing in the neighborhoods, so that when an abandonment occurs, steps can be taken to protect the building and re-sell it? When demolition is necessary, can we verify that the building is not historically or architecturally significant before demolition occurs? What options can be found to preserve abandoned buildings that have significance or are a necessary part of the urban fabric?

I hope that Mayor Peduto will be addressing all of these questions. I believe that he wants to, but city government is in enough disarray that he may need to deal with more pressing matters first.

As far as "When demolition is necessary, can we verify that the building is not historically or architecturally significant before demolition occurs?" - the planning department claims they do this. But their process is murky at best, and obviously ineffective.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

The city needs to find a more efficient way to deal with abandoned properties. Waiting years until they have deteriorated to the point of no return and then demolishing them is not the answer. What can we do to prevent properties from becoming abandoned, or motivate owners to sell instead of walking away? How can we document the conditions and vacancy rates of housing in the neighborhoods, so that when an abandonment occurs, steps can be taken to protect the building and re-sell it? When demolition is necessary, can we verify that the building is not historically or architecturally significant before demolition occurs? What options can be found to preserve abandoned buildings that have significance or are a necessary part of the urban fabric?

If the city, school district and/or county were quicker at taking enforcement on unpaid taxes, then the transfer of the building to someone who would take action on it would occur more quickly.
Less time as an abandoned property means less deterioration of the home.

Right now, it can be several years between the failure to pay taxes and the final transfer of the property by which time it is often too late to do anything.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

If the city, school district and/or county were quicker at taking enforcement on unpaid taxes, then the transfer of the building to someone who would take action on it would occur more quickly.
Less time as an abandoned property means less deterioration of the home.

Right now, it can be several years between the failure to pay taxes and the final transfer of the property by which time it is often too late to do anything.

Right. And even if, after many years, the municipality forces a Sheriff Sale, there are still unresolved liens from the school district taxes, mortgages, etc. These can amount to tens of thousands of dollars, and nobody is going to want to pay all of these fees for a run down home that is probably worth very little in its present condition.