Union Thuggery in NJ

[FyredUp]

It won't. Ask them to define overpaid.

This one is easy. Anyone with a better paying job and better benefits than the person complaining/whining is overpaid.

[FWDbuff]

As for his silly claims that we are overpaid compared to our "private sector" counterparts, I call BS. One of my guys left public fire service a few years ago to work for the fire department at Eastman. I know what his starting pay was when he first turned in his notice. Public safety overpaid compared to their private safety counterparts? Absolute bull.

I used to work part-time at the Sunoco South Philly Refinery as an Industrial Safety Technician/Stand-By EMT/Rope Rescue Tech.......I made more part-time than the guys on the full-time fire brigade.......

[firepundit]

And most plumbers aren't paid to sleep or spend hours in the recliner.

I have stuck up for you in the past but, you are on your own now. That was about as low a shot as I have ever seen on this forum.

[snowball]

I have stuck up for you in the past but, you are on your own now. That was about as low a shot as I have ever seen on this forum.

Well, he understands this because he gets paid to sit around spewing garbage on FH.com all day.

[LaFireEducator]

I have stuck up for you in the past but, you are on your own now. That was about as low a shot as I have ever seen on this forum.

That's not a low shot, that's reality in many fire stations.

Take our shift personnel as an example. They come in at 1630, and may have to do a check on an outlying station for an hour or so. After that, they have the night to themselves except for runs. They will do a couple of runs before bed and then about half the time sleep through the night until the typical early AM run comes in at 0600 or so.

During the net day they are assigned maintenance, testing and administrative tasks to perform. A couple of hours will be training as well, and that may be classroom or some outside drill. But even there there is often an hour of two of downtime towards the end of the shift.

So yes, we are paid to sleep and relax on the clock.

[LaFireEducator]

Posted by Clueless Bobby


Please tell us where this happens....name ONE FD that is overpaid, has fully paid or nearly fully paid benefits, guaranteed yearly pay increases and generous vacation holiday schedules.



By the way... when you do post the benefits package, salary schedules and the number of vacation days and holidays the firefighters get. You opened the worm can, so put up or shut up, cupcake.

As I stated, here in LA the law gives firefighters ...

13 Holidays
18 Days-Off after 1 year/ 21 at year 5/23 at year 8/25 at year 10
Mandatory 2% per year raise
Full pay Sick Time for on the job injuries and MOST off-duty injuries up to 364 days

I know of one department that actually buys food for the career staff.
Starting salaries without incentives including paramedic and such in the mid 30's for the two larger career departments and slightly lower for most of the fire districts. That is fairly good wage in this area with our lower cost of living, compared to other areas.

As I stated, many departments, including mine will exceed that mandated 2% by 1-3%.

Most departments in this area pay 100% medical. Most have incentive pay including my FD which can easily be up to $7K with a fair number of fire certifications and Paramedic or a college degree - 10K with both.

Most members of the public, at least in this area, would consider all of those to be quite generous.

[MBarnes]

Starting salaries without incentives including paramedic and such in the mid 30's for the two larger career departments and slightly lower for most of the fire districts. That is fairly good wage in this area with our lower cost of living, compared to other areas.

This literally took three minutes to find.

New Orleans Fire Department -- Starting pay for a recruit -- $24,270/yr
Starting pay for a Firefighter II -- $29,608/yr ($14.23/hr)
Starting pay for a Fire Lieutenant -- $34,368/yr

Baton Rouge -- Starting pay for a Firefighter -- $28,102/yr

Very little of what you write holds up to any scrutiny. And I'm not interested in arguing with you. I'm only pointing this out to show anyone else on here who may believe what you write that, perhaps, they shouldn't.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

As I stated, here in LA the law gives firefighters ...

13 Holidays
18 Days-Off after 1 year/ 21 at year 5/23 at year 8/25 at year 10
Mandatory 2% per year raise
Full pay Sick Time for on the job injuries and MOST off-duty injuries up to 364 days

I know of one department that actually buys food for the career staff.
Starting salaries without incentives including paramedic and such in the mid 30's for the two larger career departments and slightly lower for most of the fire districts. That is fairly good wage in this area with our lower cost of living, compared to other areas.

As I stated, many departments, including mine will exceed that mandated 2% by 1-3%.

Most departments in this area pay 100% medical. Most have incentive pay including my FD which can easily be up to $7K with a fair number of fire certifications and Paramedic or a college degree - 10K with both.

Most members of the public, at least in this area, would consider all of those to be quite generous.

All of what you posted is heresay....

Specifics. You opened your mouth.. did it write a check it couldn't cash?

As I said.. name one "overpaid" department.. just one....

Using MBarnes starting salary for a New Orleans firefighter... divided by 52 came to $433 and change a week... working a 56 hour week, they make a whopping $8.33 an hour


A Lieutenant in the NOFD makes a outrageous salary of $34368 a year, $660 a week or 11.79 an hour... to make life or death decisions for his/her crew on the rig

That is overpaid?

Hardly.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

The Brothers and Sisters in New Orleans are geeting porked here too....

http://www.nola.com/business/index.s...ging_fire.html

[FyredUp]

LA,

Tell me again how the Union destroyed Hostess...

http://money.msn.com/business-news/a...29&id=15844759

[LaFireEducator]

This literally took three minutes to find.

New Orleans Fire Department -- Starting pay for a recruit -- $24,270/yr
Starting pay for a Firefighter II -- $29,608/yr ($14.23/hr)
Starting pay for a Fire Lieutenant -- $34,368/yr



Baton Rouge -- Starting pay for a Firefighter -- $28,102/yr

Very little of what you write holds up to any scrutiny. And I'm not interested in arguing with you. I'm only pointing this out to show anyone else on here who may believe what you write that, perhaps, they shouldn't.

If you read the section of my post that you quoted you will find the words "my area". I am in northwest LA nowhere near Baton Rouge or New Orleans where the 2 career departments and most of the fire districts, which by the way, for the most part non-union start in the high 20's to mid 30"s plus significant increases if you happen to be a paramedic.

I have no idea, and really don't care what they pay in BA or NO.

I do know that New Orleans is not civil service due to the fact that thier population is over the maximum threshold, or at least was pre-Katrina. They are now under the threshold, but nobody has made an issue of the fact that they now should be civil service. I believe Baton Rouge is.

[LaFireEducator]

All of what you posted is heresay....

Specifics. You opened your mouth.. did it write a check it couldn't cash?

As I said.. name one "overpaid" department.. just one....

Using MBarnes starting salary for a New Orleans firefighter... divided by 52 came to $433 and change a week... working a 56 hour week, they make a whopping $8.33 an hour


A Lieutenant in the NOFD makes a outrageous salary of $34368 a year, $660 a week or 11.79 an hour... to make life or death decisions for his/her crew on the rig

That is overpaid?

Hardly.

As I stated, New Orleans or baton Rouge is not in my area, which I clearly stated in the post.

Both are union. maybe they should talk to the non-union fire districts up here as we are paid better and sounds like we have better benefits.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

You still haven't named one overpaid fire department, strawman....

[FyredUp]

You still haven't named one overpaid fire department, strawman....

When asked a question he can't answer he uses the American Dodge Ball Association of America game plan. You know, the 5 D's. Dodge, duck, dip, dive, Dodge the question. Then he adds a 6th D, Divert. Change the subject subtly enough, or not so subtly, to take the heat off from himself.

[FWDbuff]

i know of one department that actually buys food for the career staff.

bullschit. Prove it.

[FyredUp]

bullschit. Prove it.

He can't, and he won't. He is a yellow journalist of the highest order, if the truth isn't good enough fabricate some nonsense to make his opinion more valid.

[FWDbuff]

He can't, and he won't. He is a yellow journalist of the highest order, if the truth isn't good enough fabricate some nonsense to make his opinion more valid.

Heh. Journalism isnt the only thing he is yellow about......

[MBarnes]

As I stated, New Orleans or baton Rouge is not in my area, which I clearly stated in the post.

Both are union. maybe they should talk to the non-union fire districts up here as we are paid better and sounds like we have better benefits.

I missed the part in your post where you said NO and BR are not in your area.

Care to name the "larger departments" you were referring to?

And the second sentence just proves that union employees do NOT get paid more than their non-union counterparts. Thank you very much.

[FireMedic049]

So yes, we are paid to sleep and relax on the clock.

No you aren't! As I've already explained, being allowed to sleep and relax during "downtime" is NOT the same thing as actually being paid to do so.

[LaFireEducator]

bullschit. Prove it.

No, I won't name it.

But I know it's the case because both the Assistant Chief and Captain on my VFD work there, and have stated that it is the case.