Garbagemen strike in Chicago
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TV ClubHouse: archives: Garbagemen strike in Chicago

Crazydog

Monday, October 06, 2003 - 12:31 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I apologize if this should be in the News and Views area, but I just wanted to vent a little. Right now, the entire Chicagoland area is undergoing a garbagemen's strike. Trash is piling up in alleys and driveways. This has been going on since last Wednesday.

The union wants more money for its workers. I'm sure it's not a fun job, but it is unskilled labor and they get paid to do it. How much would you consider a reasonable salary for a garbageman?

I saw an interview on the news of a guy who looked like he was in his 20's. He complained that he gets paid $42,000 a year, and when he adds up his mortgage, his car payment, his bills and his family, he said it was very inadequate.

This just made me angry, because my immediate response was that he should live within his means. Doctors who graduate from medical school are paid less than $40,000 when they start as an intern. As a CPA, I made $30,000 right out of college. I certainly did not own my own house or have a car.

I would think $42,000 is a good salary for an uneducated man. I just don't see why they are being so greedy. I think they are just doing it because they know they can. The salary may not be enough to make them wealthy, but if you want to be wealthy, you go to college and get a good job. $42,000 a year is certainly more than enough to live on.

Reader234

Monday, October 06, 2003 - 03:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I will add to this vent by saying, the media and others seem to be so very much more tolerant of this Union strike than the teachers up in Gurnee IL... yes, I may be prejudice as I am a substitute, certified teacher. And I have worked at the district, they have a high turnover of new teachers, because of the low pay, (and other reasons I'm sure) they always have lots of openings, hire great teachers who leave after one or two years to a more "desirable" (read more money) district.

AND I will voice I HATE that teachers have to be in a union, they are dedicated professions, working within a system that rewards adminstrators (think of those principals caught cheating, they are relocated, as are superintendents!!)

I will go on record as saying this country needs to find a better way to fund schools than thru property taxes, that ship has sailed, it is too much too expect. Buildings are crumbling, 'extra curricular' are being cut, cut cut... Our gov't has a "no child left behind" but cant adequately fund it... (and those teachers are getting almost half as much as the garbage strikers, with a degree)

Bob2112

Monday, October 06, 2003 - 03:38 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Maybe the teachers can collect the garbage and the garbage collectors could teach?

<...won't be taking garbage out to the curb this evening...>

Crazydog

Monday, October 06, 2003 - 03:50 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree Reader. You're right, there has been very little attention given to the teachers strike, but yet the news crews are all over the "poor garbagemen" who struggle to make ends meet on $42,000 a year.

I think it's wrong that a 20-something-yr-old garbageman makes more money than a 20-something-yr-old teacher. Teachers are there to instill learning upon children so they can grow up and be educated so they DON'T have to become a garbage collector. How ironic that the garbageman makes more money than the teacher. What kind of society is that?!?

I am fairly lucky because I live in the city in a building that has 3 units, so the City is responsible for picking up my trash. But the dumpsters at the ends of the alley are overflowing. It will really be too bad if these greedy garbagemen are responsible for a huge rat problem.

Bob2112

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 02:31 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
My garbage was collected today!
I have BFI out in the western suburbs. Go figure. :)

Tess

Tuesday, October 07, 2003 - 03:14 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Bob, that was probably our BFI truck making a swing south to help you out. He's not due here til Friday morning. You're welcome.

Wendo

Wednesday, October 08, 2003 - 09:17 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
The bins for my building are literally over flowing. And, with the fall move out/in that just passed, much more trash than usual. I live in a 64 unit building, so unless a city truck picks up the stuff creeping into the alley, it's going to stay the way it is. Additionally, I've got six large bags on my deck waiting to be thrown out. (With another out there tomorrow.)

I'll be honest, I am not a fan of unions. I feel they hold companies hostage to get what they want. (There's a union in my families business and they went on strike two years ago for almost six months; it was not an enjoyable experience.) In an economy that's tenuous at best, people who make an average of $54,000 just come across as greedy. (That is the median pay for Chicago garbage men.)

That's more money than I make in a year; and I have a college degree and computer/design skills. Do I feel garbage men should be paid? Sure, I'm sure it's not a fun job. But dang, they're making good money. I wish I was making 54 G's a year. And I'm not complaining or going on strike, etc. If I want more money, then it's my responsibility to gain more skills to deserve the money and/or find a new job that pays more. I don't have a union or other people out there getting me work. It's up to me.

Personally, I think the purpose of unions in the US today is waning in importance. There are rules and labor laws that now exist to protect the worker and employee from company, corporate, and employer abuse. The unions seem to only exist now to have political power, hold companies hostage, and increase the pension funds.

Ah well, this isn't a thread on unions. I just hope the garbage gets picked up soon.

Ocean_Islands

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 06:01 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The whole thing with strikes stinks. I'm surprised this is happening in Chi-town, actually; the city has a record of working better. That said, if Daly is the one towing the line it can only be good for the city in the long run. Unfortunately this is happening during the playoffs with lots of opportunities for jokes that the city does not need.

Djgirl

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 09:44 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, all I can say is that you should be thankful that it's happening in the fall! Last year in Toronto, our garbage people went on strike in the middle of July - and we all remember the HEATWAVE we called all last summer - 100+ for two months straight?! Garbage piling up - it was disgusting!

Crazydog

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 02:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I agree completely Wendo. I think they are paid adequately. It's not a fun job, but when you have no education, I'd say it's pretty good money.

The good news is that the strike has apparently been resolved. The average garbageman will make $22 an hour. That's a lot more than most people make.

Azlen

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 03:02 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I am curious as to how the garbage is collected in your area because the garbagemen here in my area seem to have it really easy. We have these big trash barrels that we wheel out to the curb twice a week and they drive by in a truck that has a mechanical arm type device that picks up the barrel, dumps it, puts it back and moves on. The garbagemen don't even have to get out of the truck. I couldn't imagine any of them making anywhere close to $50k a year.

Bob2112

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 03:36 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
In most suburbs it is picked up by hand.
In my area you may use bags or cans of a maximum 33-gallon size and 50 lbs in weight.

Apartments and businesses tend to have the large dumpsters that are loaded mechanically.

Reader234

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 03:41 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Azlen, in my suburb west of Chicago, that's how its done!!

(still no word on those teachers!!)

Julieboo

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 04:11 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Reader-what 'burb are you in? (I'm North Aurora). They do it by hand here (and for those of you who read the Dear Abby thread, that same neighbor follows the men down the entire street, chatting w/them and giving them a hand and returning garbage cans/recycle bins to certain people's garages..)

Crossfire

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 04:48 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Wow, you guys are lucky. While our garbageman don't need a degree or anything to pick the garbage up, you pretty darn well need one to actually throw any away.

I am this ---][--- close to experiencing stage fright when handling the garbage.

We have a big blue bucket, a taller wheeled bucket, a small grey bucket, then bags of a specified size, weight, color, and count. On top of that, I am certain I've lost a bucket or two as my neighbours seem to have some plastic options not available to me.

Some of these are for wet stuff, some are for dry stuff, some are meant to stay inside, some are for outside, one I think is for inside, but is to be dumped into the outside one, some for recycling various things which I am certain most of which lands in a landfill in Michigan anyway as we insist on electing politicians who are too bloody incompetent to find anywhere in all of giant Canada with only the population of California to put it.

To top it all off, there is some pickup schedule complicated enough that I've received numerous mailings, and in the summer, students are paid to go door to door explaining it all. Some things can go out certain weeks but not others, then it all changes on the following week.

One of these days, I'm just going to dig a hole in my backyard, and start hiding it all.

Tishala

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 07:25 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Here in SoCal, our grocery workers are going on strike, which kinda sucks. I am a firm believer in unions, so I won't cross a picket line, especially since most workers in grocery stores have very few benefits and struggle to take care of their families.

Guess I have to do some shopping ahead and hope for a short strike.

Zachsmom

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 09:40 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
ROTFLMBO Crossfire!


What market and what county area? I am in Orange County!

and hey Tishala..you do know about the TVCH Fall SoCal meeting next weekend don't you? We're meeting in Long Beach.

Bob2112

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 09:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Crossfire, you're up in Canada, right?

When we were in PEI 2 months ago, we arrived at the B&B with a bag of garbage in the van from a few days of driving. When we tried to throw it out, the lady at the B&B almost went nuts and took the bag from us and sorted everything out piece by piece. After that I was afraid to throw anything away until we got back into Maine!

Juju2bigdog

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 10:30 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Bob, they are a bit like that in parts of the west too. You don't just casually go throw something in the garbage or somebody might scream. In most of Berkeley, CA, folks will yell at you, even in your own home, if they find out you are flushing the toilet after just peeing. Okay, gang, I've left the lid up for a lot of toilet jokes here.

Tishala

Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 11:33 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Yes Ms Zachsmom. It turns out I MIGHT not be able to be there because I am supposed to present some "scholarly work" at a conference and my dissertation has fallen woefully behind because of it. But I will TRY! I've lived in LA for 5 years and I've never even BEEN to LB. LOL.

Ummmmm. Pavillions, Von's, and Ralph's will be striking, if I recall corrr3ectly. Somethin glike 900 stores are affected. It will definitely affect Orange, I think. [note certainty mixed with prevarication in that sentence]

Reader234

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 06:29 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Just wanted to stop in and add the teachers in Gurnee are voting Monday (a school holiday!) to accept the contract... apparently negotiations went very well, and they were wrapped at 4 am Chicago time. The union rep was accepting of the new contract, so they feel the kids can go back to school on Tues (assuming the vote is positive Monday!)

Kaili

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 07:22 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Wow- the teachers were "sort of" on strike up here last year- except they (I'm not sure if they aren't allowed to or what) just refused to do anything extra- they would show up at the time they were suppossed to and walk out the door at the time they were allowed- no extra hours, no extra-curriculars.

How long have they been on strike?

I thought about applying for a job in Fox Lake teaching- my uncle lives in Antioch.

Crazydog

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 08:22 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Yay for the Gurnee teachers and the schools!

I was so happy last night at around 10 pm to hear the sounds of the dumpsters being dumped. I hope all the garbage can be picked up quickly before it starts smelling even more.

Reader234

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 12:10 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Kaili,

Have you checked out this website?
Lake County Teacher Vacancy list

Fox Lake, Antioch, are smaller school districts, so fewer openings. Actually Woodland Schools arent all that much farther, and its a larger school, and always has openings!!

Good Luck!!

Kaili

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 01:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Reader- thanks for the link- I'm Social Studies which is a pretty crowded field- I wish there were so many openings up where I live!!! I saw one in there that looked good- but it's as a permanant sub. I don't think I want to move that far away for a substitute position. There was an opening in Fox Lake a few months ago but I never applied. I appreciate it though :) I bookedmarked the site "just in case".

Julieboo

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 01:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Kaili, my mom is a social studies teacher (middle school in west 'burbs) and my brother just graduated. He too is social studies, but couldn't find a SS position. So now he's a teacher at a private school for BD kids. Not exactly what he wanted... (he has to teach all subjects too, and he is not a math/science guy at all.) My point--it is hard to find a social studies position, at least here in western suburbs. (tho my mom does retire in 2 years!, so there will be at least one opening then!)

Wargod

Friday, October 10, 2003 - 02:50 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Tishala, my sis and I were just talking about the grocery store strike. My bil is a member of one of the unions here and since they support all local unions he won't cross a picket line either. So they will be stocking up on groceries too. Luckily, I stocked up last week, so I won't be needing to go for awhile since Von's is my store and I've shopped there for years and know the employees there's no way I'm crossing their picket line!