A spokesman for the union representing employees of the New York City’s Department of Sanitation said that snow clean-up workers are “getting annoyed over the fact that people are thinking there is a job action.” But taxpayers are likely to be more annoyed when they find out how well the workers do financially, even in retirement.
According to the Manhattan Institute’s “See Through New York” database of 2009 pensions, nearly 180 retired employees make over $66,000 year — in other words, over and above the maximum salary of currently working employees. In fact, 20 retirees make upwards of $90,000 in retirement, up to $132,360.
Couple this with how notoriously difficult it is to fire a public employee, and you’ll see why a public employee crashing a snow plow into a car doesn’t rattle city officials.
Just to be clear, the top salary of $66,672 is only the tip of the iceberg for active sanitation worker compensation because it excludes other things like overtime and extra pay for certain assignments. For example, one worker in 2009 had a salary of $55,639 but actually earned $79,937 for the year.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2010/12/new-york-city-streets-are-unplowed-least-sanitation-workers-retir#ixzz19cOUJyP4
Foer once I can see the need for some lawyers. I wonder if there’s any way affected citizenry can sue the union people responsible?