Dear editor,
This is a plea for help for the "poor" (possibly on the verge of starvation) BC Transit Police, who make only $80,000 per year after five years work and would like that increased to $90,000 (5.5 per cent retroactive for the past two years that they have been without a contract and a 6.5-per-cent increase), so that they will no longer have to live off of soup bones and from surfing garbage cans in the local neighbourhood.
What can we do to help these poor souls? Hold bake sales; write our MLAs; join protest marches; attach bumper stickers that read "I support BC Transit Police."
Perhaps we could wear armbands that reflect our concern for these underprivileged workers.
In addition to holiday pay, sick pay, and all the other benefits that government workers get, the BC Transit Police only get paid for 11 days extra that is not included in the above benefits (possible discretionary days). I'm sure that overtime pay is also part of the job description, which helps buy more than a few loaves of bread and jugs of milk.
Did you know that these poor workers have to work Sundays, thus tearing themselves away from their families, who no doubt are left in distraught or dire straits and go through emotional abandonment issues? No doubt they also work late at night.
How would you feel if your father, mother, or husband wasn't there to read you a bedtime story at night and wasn't there to tuck you into bed? Not everyone is cut out to be a 7-11 worker or store manager who can work any hours and still remain cheerful to the public.
Tongue-in-cheek: As a former educator, I can't help but think of young teachers who train for six years, often ending up with a very large debt of tens of thousands of dollars, are fortunate if they can get a permanent position, to start at about $50,000 and take about 10 years to reach a maximum of about $70,000 to $80,000.
I haven't noticed a teacher parade recently to say that they are falling behind BC Transit Police (who claim they are falling behind other police forces who, according to the union spokesman, are eagerly waiting to snatch up BC Transit Police on their employ if and when they can no longer endure the poor wages paid by BC Transit).
The list of those, not only government workers, who want more and more, including many on minimum wages with no benefits, goes on and on.
In summary, I have two words of advice for the BC Transit Police:
Good Luck!
Ken MacLeod,
Courtenay