I was barely making it on $23 an hour, lost my job and get $10 now at Big Lots until I can find a real job. The world is fucked.
News reporter: How much did you say? The line is a bit unclear
Confidential source: I said I make 16 dollars an hour.
Reporter: You said 60?
Source: Yep. 16 and 17 for some folk.
Reporter: 60 to 70, got it.
As a union construction worker/truck driver, I assure you, non-union folks in similar jobs make far more than me and the benefits are pretty dang close. I’m actually working on finding a non-union job since our union won’t push for higher starting wages and it’s hard to live on less than $20/hr these days.
I have doubts the benefits are ‘dang close’ with pay also being ‘far more’ unless we’re talking within ranges of under $20 an hour.
Nonetheless that sounds like what happens with goalong unions serving company interests. It could be more advantageous to fight to change unions than find non union work.
I make $19/hr, industry standard is $22-$25 starting. Most companies have medical, dental, vision and some sort of retirement plan these days, my copays are $30-$50 and I have to pay hundreds into my retirement each month to hopefully get something back at the end. Years ago they had good retirement benefits and no or low copays for healthcare but those days are dead.