Not that I think garbage collectors should make way over the average, but $144,000 might be the same as $60,000 in the Midwest. The media, conservatives included, don’t account for the differences in costs of living around the nation, but instead use it as part of their agenda—be it to dump on the unions, or to start class warfare.
Teamsters would be somewhere in the mid-to-high 30s
“The media, conservatives included, don’t account for the differences in costs of living around the nation, but instead use it as part of their agenda—be it to dump on the unions, or to start class warfare.”
Your assertion is ridiculous. The cost of housing is a big issue but otherwise the cost of living is reasonably similar. The cost of housing is a rather small part of the CPI so housing costs do not justify these ridiculous levels of compensation.
The reason is union thuggery. It was on display during the recent snowstorm. I doubt that $144,000 is a reasonable estimation of the union compensation. Public employee pension agencies do not want to provide reasonable assessment of the value of retirement compensation. With typical pension spiking practices, the true value of the compensation could by $200,000 per year.
Why do you thing the "cost of living" is so much higher in such areas? It is the artificially inflated wages of even "entry-level" positions that continue to push the costs higher. Just like forcing a higher minimum wage - when everybody is making more money (at least those who keep their jobs after companies cut back...) push costs higher for consumers.
When garbage collectors are taking in $144K in salary and benefits, then it is no wonder a simply 2br. apartment costs as much as the payment on a $250K mortgage payment... and thank the Unions who continue to push these numbers higher.
They do the same thing in reverse oddly, in the midwest - for example advocating for higher teacher pay e.g. “among the lowest in the nation”, never bothering to point out the cost of living is much lower.
It is cheaper to rent an apartment here than park a ca in NYC I bet.
Why on earth should a garbage collector make $60,000, let alone $144,000? How much skill and thinking is required to pick up trash, throw it in a truck and drive it to a dump?
Are you out of your mind?
Are you on LSD?
Cost of living should have nothing to do with it. It should be simply supply and demand. Do you really think we need to pay garbage men $144k to get them to work?