Ainsley Stewart said he filed his paperwork today to formally run on the Union Democracy slate for president of the TWU. He’s no ghost candidate, he said, and is in it to win.
He said the campaign is going to heat up quick.
“Everyone is going to take their hats off and pull their sleeves up,” he said. He plans to hammer Toussaint on calling off the strike after 60 hours and, of course, the 1.5% of gross wage health insurance premiums that was in the rejected contract.
-- Chuck Bennett amNY.com
Comments (1)
Two ways to look at 1.5% and Roger is right
There are two ways to look at 1.5% with this transit union contract.
The controversial part of the rejected contract now up for a revote is the 1.5% of gross wage deduction for a new health insurance premium to pay for the health care of retirees.
Union leadership says all the 1.5% does it reduce the 10.5% in raises over three years to a 9% raise over three years.
Union dissidents, on the other hand, like Ainsley Stewart have repeatedly said, that the contribution equals 4.5% over the life of the contract so the raise is just 6%.
Roger is right and Ainsley is wrong.
Let’s figure it out. The contract up for a vote calls for 3%, 4% and 3.5% in raises.
Let’s say a worker makes $1,000 a pay check. The first year a worker will get $30 extra for for his 3% raise and then lose $15 for the 1.5% health insurance deduction. Total of $1,015.
The next year, the worker’s pay check, now at $1,030 will rise 4% to $1,071.20. Subtract the 1.5% for health insurance ($16.07) and he ends up with $1055.13.
The final year, the worker's pay check at $1,071.20 rises 3.5% ($38.5) to $1,109.70. Subtract 1.5% for health insurance ($16.65). So the worker ends up with $1,093.05.
After three years, the worker’s pay check including raises and minus health insurance, rose 9.305% from $1,000 to $1,093.05.
Roger’s math is right. Anyone figure differently?
-- Chuck Bennett