3 April 2011
To raise public sector salaries when private sector wages stagnate or
drop is a touchy subject, but I wished to throw in my two cents (no pun
intended).
Although I am a public sector worker, and have my opinion,
there are good arguments on both sides. Yes, we generally have very
good job security, salaries, pensions and annual wage increases, but as
letter writer Bill Easton, from Madoc points out (Freeze high
wages), we’re not all getting rich.
The way I see it, having the perks I just mentioned are the trade off for the potential of making big salaries in the private sector. Let’s face it, in the private sector,
when times are good, times are really good. At some private companies,
an employee’s year end bonus can equal to more than 3 – 6 months salary
for me (JUST their year end bonus).
Now I do realize that private companies can do what they want with private money, and these extravagant bonuses are the reason some companies are in trouble now
(the auto manufacturers), but my point still stands. A police officer
doesn’t get a commission on the number of traffic tickets they write or
on the number of arrests they make, but a talented salesperson can often
make big money, either though commissions or sales bonuses, for being a
top seller at their company.
By the way, how many people realize that, as a municipal employee, that my retirement medical benefits run out when I am 65? Yes I will be getting an indexed, guaranteed pension, but at 65, I will have to buy supplemental health insurance to cover
things like medicine and dental care. Teachers, believe it or not, are
in the same situation too. Not quite the “gold-plated” pension plan
that some people think we have.
