Driver Shortage>Scab Wages

R

ralphthetrucker

Active Member
Nov 26, 2009
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Job Bank - Job Profile

Terms of Employment: Seasonal, Full Time, Overtime, Weekend, Day

Salary: $15.00 to $16.00 Hourly for 50 hours per week

Anticipated Start Date: 2011/04/18

Location: BRANTFORD, Ontario (2 vacancies )

Can you imagine a carrier wanting to hire a FULL TIME AZ driver for the paltry sum of $15/$16 an hour... what a fuggin' joke! They'll be the same fleet pizzin' and moaning about there being a driver shortage. Blastech in Brantford, you truly are a bottom feeding scab employer!
 
Everyone starts somewhere

Dear Ralph the Trucker;
Although I am not quite sure on how you really feel... perhaps you should look into things a bit, before you "let loose".
Yes, we are currently looking for a few drivers - yes this is a temporary seasonal position - hauling van freight locally. And guess what - the positions are all filled - do you know why? Because we work closely with the training schools in the area, are willing to hire drivers that dont have a whole lot of experience under their belt and work with them.
In the past, we have entered some of these same drivers with little experience into the Apprenticeship program - worked with them - watched them complete their apprenticeships - and yes some of them still work for us 5 or 6 years later - now trained to haul overdimensional loads - make WAY more than $16.00/hr, have complete benefit packages, profit sharing program, RRSP programs- are home every night - never work weekends and get paid overtime after 44 hours. These same drivers would not consider working anywhere else - ask any one of them.
 
Experience: 2 years to less than 3 years

Mini-Decker, your advertisement clearly states that a minimum TWO years experience is required. How many drivers with two years experience are coming out of driving school. It's your advertisement, I just copied it.

If the scab shoe fits, then I guess you and your employer are wearing it.
 
Rates

I have heard that the rate for a local driver in Montreal is now down to $13.00/hr.
How any self respecting soul would pay that low is beyond me!!
 
I guess the easy answer is no one has to work for those wages and if they choose to work for them it is their decision. Also as Minideker posted there seems to be a lot to go along with the hourly rate. It's not all about the hourly/mileage rate. It is the whole package. If a driver calls and the first question out is rates then we usually thank them for their interest in our company and move on. We pay extremely well by the way before you brand us.
 
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Like it or not, this is the way free enterprise works. An employer can offer any salary he wishes and an employee can choose to accept or decline that offer. If no one takes the job, the employer either adjusts his offer or the position goes unfilled. Yes, it would be nice if every driver made $35.00 per hour, they could buy more things, take better care of their families and pay more taxes, all good things for a still struggling economy. In the end, I believe that most employers understand that old adage "you get what you pay for".
 
Scab Wages

I'm with minidecker on this. If you look at only "how much today", and consider nothing else, then $16/hr is not too good. However, if one wants to embark on a career, then the bigger picture will tell more, especially if you see little turnover or staff churn. What is the real value of an opportunity solid advancement in a particular vocation? I think it's worth a lot more than a lower starting wage.
 
Minidecker

FWIW

There are several factors to be considered, none more or less salient than the other. Minidecker is however doing something few carriers are presently; investing in their future.

What has not been broached is the regional cost of living. We have clients in the near north that are able to recruit AND retain experienced commercial drivers for significantly less than we can in the GTA. There is a cost differential from west to east in Toronto. Toronto to Hamilton and so on.

$65k/a in the GTA allows you to eke out an existence, if offers a much more comfortable lifestyle elsewhere.

The most recent census stats (2006) show the average property value in St Catherine's is $212,767; Toronto, $ 403,112. The difference in average annual household income is only $ 11,071.

When you calculate that you have a forward thinking employer, prepared to invest in its people, with a reasonable if not good total compensation package, in an affordable community that they are active within, outside of the city; I can imagine a lineup at the door.

Sprat
 
Hey Minidecker, there's a bigger scab than your employer out there! You're no longer the bottom of the barrell! There's a temp agency offering a whopping $13.00 per hour for local van work (just like Blastech), a clear 20% less than your offer. I'm unable to find the ad @ this time, maybe they were embarassed and removed it.

Folks, I only read and posted the advertisement and called a spade a spade. The member can profess all they want, the truth is in THEIR advertisement! Our member professed O/T pay after 44 hours while the advertisement clearly states O/T after 50 hours. I sense there's no communication between HR and our member here @ Inside Transport.
 
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