[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

100k after 10 years....of working...it takes time , same with Private.... I told you what else Conductors do and you choose to ignore it....focusing in on the work you most likely see them doing instead of most of the work they do. Its not like Conductors are hired right off the street , you need to take 6-12 months of classes and then a RR Exam to get hired.... Engineers are promoted up through the system....that takes anywhere from 2-6 years to get to that next point.... The track maintenance is done properly on the NY and NJ side , but its CT that is to blame here. You can blame Employee salary's all you want , but the bottom line is CTDOT dropped the ball here , those same Employees reported bad tracks over the last 6 months....your state did nothing. If it were NY or NJ the tracks would have been closed and inspected and replaced.

Most in the Private sector unless they are management/professional do not make $100K ever.....

Originally Posted by mlassoff

MTA workers paid too much--Nicole Gelinas - NYPOST.com

Though I mostly agree with yours and their sentiments, keep in mind that the NY Post is the most conservative of NYC's papers and is owned by Murdoch, aka Faux News. They have a pretty anti-worker bent. I do think (per another poster) that $45K is reasonable and especially so when you're relatively new and this article should note that. It's the $100K+ that makes everyone's eyeballs roll.

[gmdealerguy]

Originally Posted by Cambium

Thanks for heads up... I'll make sure I'm not going south tomorrow morning... or north in afternoon.

I don't have that as a choice unfortunately..... But I will definitely be taking 684 to 84 to get to Derby to get home tomorrow night. Hopefully it works in my favor....

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

100k after 10 years....of working...it takes time , same with Private.... I told you what else Conductors do and you choose to ignore it....focusing in on the work you most likely see them doing instead of most of the work they do. Its not like Conductors are hired right off the street , you need to take 6-12 months of classes and then a RR Exam to get hired.... Engineers are promoted up through the system....that takes anywhere from 2-6 years to get to that next point.... The track maintenance is done properly on the NY and NJ side , but its CT that is to blame here. You can blame Employee salary's all you want , but the bottom line is CTDOT dropped the ball here , those same Employees reported bad tracks over the last 6 months....your state did nothing. If it were NY or NJ the tracks would have been closed and inspected and replaced.

Understood. You like railroads, and railways and think railroad people should make lots of money.

Being a teacher takes successful completion of a 4 year degree, and then to keep your job you need to complete a Masters. For less money than these conductors make. It's not equitable... The reason it's competitive to get hired is because they are overpaid.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

Most in the Private sector unless they are management/professional do not make $100K ever.....



Though I mostly agree with yours and their sentiments, keep in mind that the NY Post is the most conservative of NYC's papers and is owned by Murdoch, aka Faux News. They have a pretty anti-worker bent. I do think (per another poster) that $45K is reasonable and especially so when you're relatively new and this article should note that. It's the $100K+ that makes everyone's eyeballs roll.

I'm no Fox News Fan.. But you can't really spin factual information... But- Here you go.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/ny...er=rss&emc=rss

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

Understood. You like railroads, and railways and think railroad people should make lots of money.

Being a teacher takes successful completion of a 4 year degree, and then to keep your job you need to complete a Masters. For less money than these conductors make. It's not equitable... The reason it's competitive to get hired is because they are overpaid.

Private Railroads are the same and those costs are passed down to consumers same with the Airlines and Sea/Port Workers.... Public or Private you tend to make a nice wage , i'm sorry if that bothers you but thats the way it is. Not just in North America , but around the World....these jobs keep the economy functioning... Truckers also make alot of money...we should we cut their Salary to 35k....since all you need is a Commercial license... You have to work your way up at all of these jobs....

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by Nexis4Jersey

Private Railroads are the same and those costs are passed down to consumers same with the Airlines and Sea/Port Workers.... Public or Private you tend to make a nice wage , i'm sorry if that bothers you but thats the way it is. Not just in North America , but around the World....these jobs keep the economy functioning... Truckers also make alot of money...we should we cut their Salary to 35k....since all you need is a Commercial license... You have to work your way up at all of these jobs....

Yes, jobs that require three months training and a high school education, where you do nothing more than punch holes in tickets should not pay more than school teachers. Many airline pilots make less.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

I'm no Fox News Fan.. But you can't really spin factual information... But- Here you go.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/ny...er=rss&emc=rss

Although this article cites wage data from 2009, at that time, the top pay grade for a conductor appeared to be $67K in New York. It's probably less for a New Haven line conductor. Either way, your assertion that conductors are earning a base of $100K appears to be inaccurate.

[DarkWolf]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

Most in the Private sector unless they are management/professional do not make $100K ever.....



Though I mostly agree with yours and their sentiments, keep in mind that the NY Post is the most conservative of NYC's papers and is owned by Murdoch, aka Faux News. They have a pretty anti-worker bent. I do think (per another poster) that $45K is reasonable and especially so when you're relatively new and this article should note that. It's the $100K+ that makes everyone's eyeballs roll.

Actually Private Freight Employees do make alot , it depends how long you work for them. I know a few Engineers out west who pull in 120k a year , but there rarely home...same with Truckers....some pilots... They are always on the Road or in the Skies...So they deserve the 90-120k that some make.... Your right Management/Professionals does not make anywhere near that in the private sector they make 600-900k.... Some CEO's make 12 Million... These Companies make between 1 to 6 Billion a year....if the Employees work hard why shouldn't they get paided a decent amount? Its not like thats a starting wage , people keep assuming you start out at 100k...thats after 10 years or more in the private sector and public agency...and its rare...depends how dedicated you are to working...their.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

Yes, jobs that require three months training and a high school education, where you do nothing more than punch holes in tickets should not pay more than school teachers.

How many months of training should be required for a job that doesn't require a college degree, but pays equal to or better than a teaching position?

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

How many months of training should be required for a job that doesn't require a college degree, but pays equal to or better than a teaching position?

Do you think there's an exact answer to that question?

Lots of people in lots of jobs deserve more-- However, this is a segment that's overpaid. In a perfect world, conductors, garbage haulers, and construction workers would make enough money to raise a family. But, in the end, a conductor is a service job, and from all observations, not a particularly difficult one. You have to be on your feet, collect tickets, deal with the occasional problem passenger. It's probably boring and monotonous. But they are basically cashiers with more responsibility.

What do we pay people for? We pay for danger, we pay for hard work, we pay for responsibility, we pay for taking risks, we pay for education, and specialized skills. Does anyone here really believe they couldn't do the job of a conductor with a week or two of training-- a month of training? I doubt many conductors could do my job-- or MOST jobs with that little training.

It is what it is. Should the average conductor make more than an airline pilot? How about a public school teacher? How about a cop? Nurse?

In the end more specialized jobs pay more-- and they should. This just isn't a specialized job, no matter how nice the conductors are.