Sunday, June 21, 1998
Dear Fellow Laidlaw Workers:
I walked to the far comer of my Bedroom, stood in front of my computer monitor, and stared at the screen saver, a tumbling digital display of time. Easy to read, and just in time to tell me, 'I stayed much too long at Laidlaw today.
'Let's see, one week break to prepare this special contract, and ready for summer school, next we go directly to the first week of summer school, and shuttling for the U. S. Open, which equals two very busy weeks. A total of 99 hours (19 hours overtime). This is going to be the largest payroll check I have ever received in my nine years at Laidlaw.
I want to share with my fellow Union members why I'm not smiling. For a total of ninety-nine hours my payroll check would be an estimated net $825. Of course, I have a garnishment on my check. I'm paying off an eviction judgement, because I couldn't afford the rent in a previous residence. So my check will be mid $600. Of course the garnishment is my problem to handle and not your concern.
So what am I trying to prove? Working for Laidlaw means, I'm an idiot. Not exactly. What I am hoping to accomplish is my fellow Union members will look at their payroll check, compare the hours they worked for 1 week to the hours the dispatchers and the other staff workers submitted for two weeks. I hope when the drivers compare their Gross pay, take time to realize I (we) have to pay the same Union dues, I (we) get the same cost of living raise as our only yearly increase. It's just that our increase amounts to .25 each year. The gap between our wages grows and grows.
Try to understand, it is real hard for me (us) to come to work with a positive attitude, but I made a commitment to myself to 'stick it out' until our next negotiations. These negotiations are coming up this year. I am going on record now by telling my fellow Union Members, I will be forced to quit if we do not get a fair wage.
That is a drastic announcement. I'm forty-six years old, and that is not a great age to start a new career. So I am hoping my fellow workers support making fair Staff wages a priority. This injustice has gone on too long, so I hope you understand when I say, "I'm not a UTU fan". I don't have a lot of confidence this problem will be solved. The staff has been told by our Divisional Manager,'the last couple of years have been record breakers in profit for the Laidlaw San Francisco Division. How else would we have gotten two free Laidlaw T-shirts as our only bonus since we joined our powerful local.
Thanks for taking time to read my letter, Marshall (Beau) Thomson, Dispatcher
P.S. "base to route 16." 'Captain would you go take care of this problem.
