Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[Metro-One]

I fail to see how the hourly wage of the job is important in this article......

Almost comes off as a right wing article trying to wedge such information in there edge wise.

The point of the story is nepotism, and as I read it these individuals related to the higher ups were not getting paid more than others with the same job, so how is their wage relevant tot he story???

Also, I find this entire story a non issue, every private enterprise I have ever worked for is full of nepotism, whether it is the nephew of the CEo becoming vice president over many others who were far more qualified (and trust me, these people are the real crooks making much, much more that 30 bucks an hour!), to every cab driver being the brother, son, nephew, etc... of the cab company manager.

Also, if my Dad worked for Translink you are dam right I would apply for a job there. If these people are unqualified, then it is an issue, but if they are qualified and do their job well, no issue IMO.

[cornholio]

The article seems to forget that this is a unionized position based on seniority and these people more likely then not will not be getting anything close to full time work. $22 and $30 sounds pretty normal based on similar private sector union positions.

Personally I hate articles like this, all about bringing out jealousy where none would exist if people knew the facts.

There are much easier jobs out there in the private sector and with equal pay and benefits. I would hate to be a skytrain attendant, just looks like a horrible job to do for your entire life/(remember that once you stay long enough to get full time hours your as good as stuck in the job)

[Metro-One]

I agree 100%. It is nice to know that at least some jobs still pay people enough to actually survive in this over priced city.

[ryanmaccdn]

Originally Posted by jhausner View Post
Skytrain attendents don't get paid $75,000 a year. That's ridiculous.


EAT CROW MR!

[SpongeG]

you usually get paid extra or a premium above the regular wage if you have your first aid ticket and because as an attendant you deal with many more members of the public that extra bit is justifiable

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

you usually get paid extra or a premium above the regular wage if you have your first aid ticket and because as an attendant you deal with many more members of the public that extra bit is justifiable

Plus, if you are regularly dealing with people traveling from Surrey, I think you deserve some hazard pay.

[red-paladin]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

Plus, if you are regularly dealing with people traveling from Surrey, I think you deserve some hazard pay.

....

[Waders]

Owning a car is getting more and more expensive..

Vehicle registration fee eyed to generate cash for transit services.

Source: Vancouver Sun

[dleung]

Requirements for the SkyTrain attendant job are a Grade 12 education and customer service and first aid skills and it pays $30 an hour, or about $60,000 a year full-time. The fare-gate attendant position is also low-skilled and pays $22 an hour.

60k is higher than the average salary of an architect.

[Metro-One]

well then maybe architects should demand more. Seems kind of strange to me that they would make less than 30 dollars an hour. Again, instead of wishing to pull others down, maybe other professions should be trying to pull themselves up. Looking at the salaries and bonuses of the people at the top there is a lot of money to be spread around

[twoNeurons]

Most jobs that require a university diploma offer low starting wages. It really has to make you question whether it's worth putting massive amounts of money into.

There's a glut of kids leaving university and wanting jobs that not skills-based. The problem with this push... is that they come out with only soft skills and little practical education, they are competing with foreign workers and being outsourced more than your average skilled-worker like plumber or electrician.

However, I would hazard a guess that at the executive level, many are either entrepreneurs (many of whom dropped out of university) or Uni graduates. But there is only so much room for executives. University graduates are a dime a dozen these days it seems.

If I were to guess, I'd say that by age 40, your average university graduate has earned less than those who graduated from an apprenticeship, when you take into account lost opportunity and paying back loans.

Where I think the divide is, though, is that someone who entered the work force right after school hasn't had to learn about saving/budgeting/investing/finance. Effectively, there are a lot of medium to high paid workers that waste their money. Uni graduates either come from influence/money (so are better positioned because of connections) or have had to learn how to manage money while in University.

In my opinion, what you learn while PAYING for your education can be almost as valuable as what you learn learning.

Please note that this is a broad generalization and there are ranges of experiences. I don't consider my education completely wasted, I just see things a bit more clearly with age.

[twoNeurons]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Looking at the salaries and bonuses of the people at the top there is a lot of money to be spread around

Unfortunately, it's spread very lightly. The biggest mistake of the middle-class man is thinking that if he works hard enough he too can become the high-paying executive. The vast majority do not. The money is kept at the top.

[WarrenC12]

Got another "Translink Listens" survey email regarding options along Broadway. I'm not sure how many of these studies has been done for this route, but it has to be a baker's dozen... Skytrain, skytrain... SKYTRAIN.

[DKaz]

The architectural/engineering industry is not an industry to be in if you want to make money, you have to really love your job. Different story from 30 years ago.

[officedweller]

Interesting article:


Portland Struggles to Remain a Leader in Public Transit
Reduced revenue and federal funding, combined with unsustainable employee costs,
are making it difficult for the Oregon city to stay on top.

http://www.governing.com/topics/transpor...-to-remain-leader-in-public-transit.html

[racc]

Looks like Premier Clark is chickening out on funding for transit.

Time to send her an email supporting the vehicle levy and other funding for badly needed transit improvements around the region including transit upgrades, including the Highway 1 RapidBus service over the new Port Mann Bridge and a new B-Line express bus down King George Boulevard in Surrey.

The last premier who rejected a vehicle levy just before an election, Udal Dosanjh, lost badly. Looks like Christy wants to do repeat.

[email protected]

http://www.surreyleader.com/news/143913506.html

[Gordon]

According to an article in the sun Peter Fastbender and other Mayors have received death threats due their support of the Vehicle Levy.

[DKaz]

FFS throw them in jail. Death threat over a vehicle levy? WTF.

[st7860]

if Translink/the mayors/etc had just raised property taxes there wouldn't be such a fuss now. its when they started talking about a vehicle levy that people started to get upset.


http://www.vancouversun.com/news/premier+orders+audit+TransLink/6345534/story.html
Premier Christy Clark has ordered an audit of TransLink to address a shortfall in funding for the transportation authority.


Clark made the announcement on Thursday at the end of a Port Moody news conference supporting Liberal candidate Dennis Marsden in the April 19 Port Moody-Coquitlam byelection.

[Metro-One]

Bottom line is people are insane.

And Clark is flip flopping, again! May as well call this woman a pancake.