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For example, the number of individuals earning over $100,000 a year more than doubled between 2000 and 2004--the latest year with complete data. Over the same period the number of officers and staff earning more than $150,000 increased 84 percent.

Meanwhile, private sector union density has fallen below eight percent, its lowest point in over 100 years.

For example, an official or staffer earning over $157,000 in 2004 found themselves among the richest five percent of American households.

Half of the highest paid officials in the labor movement in 2004 also received more than one salary.

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Bloated Salaries Limit Organizing, Leave Members Cynical

[ 30 January 2007: Message edited by: CUPE_Reformer ]

That being said, I think that eliminating multiple salaries and setting a reasonable, generous salary cap for top officers like $150,000 is fair. I suspect, though, that salaries like that are actually not common throughout the labor movement but rather there are a few "chronic offender" unions that pay out the bulk of the big paychecks.

For example, according to an ANTI-union website not a single employee of the United Auto Workers made more than $150,000 in basic salary in 2005, nor for that matter did any Steelworker. A Big Three auto worker or Big Steel employee can easily make $100,000+, including overtime, at the top rates under their CBA. It doesn't seem unreasonable to pay the top officers of their union something similar, considering they usually also put in minimum 60 hour weeks with a ton of travelling on top of that. When you look at the Autoworkers or Steelworkers, excessive salaries don't appear to be what is hurting these unions, rather the barriers to organizing are things like globalized trade, automation and the sick economic condition of some major currently unionized employers.

On the other hand, I think the members of any union that pays a local president $400,000 a year should really ask themselves what they are getting for the money.

What does CUPE pay, C_R?

[ 30 January 2007: Message edited by: robbie_dee ]

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I suspect, though, that salaries like that are actually not common throughout the labor movement but rather there are a few "chronic offender" unions that pay out the bulk of the big paychecks.

What does CUPE pay, C_R?

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870 individuals earned more than $150,000 in salaries.

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870 individuals earned more than $150,000 in salaries.

CUPE staff salaries Appendix "B" page 69 (PDF file)

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I am confused by what you are saying, C_R. Are you saying there are 870 CUPE staff members getting paid more than $150,000? The document has linked shows the top paying job "National Director" as only earning $94,355?

Or are you referring to 870 union officers referenced in the Labor Notes article? Because I wasn't disputing the number of people getting paid big salaries, I was just suggesting that the majority of the big earners might be from a relatively small subset of unions.

If CUPE only pays its National Director $94,000 per year, I would further suggest you guys are getting a bargain, as that is a lot less than a lot of nonprofit orgs pay their head folks. It is less than what a lot of city councillors make, and it is probably competitive with what some CUPE bargaining unit members earn at their top rates under the CBA.

[ 30 January 2007: Message edited by: robbie_dee ]

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Or are you referring to 870 union officers referenced in the Labor Notes article?

If CUPE only pays its National Director $94,000 per year, I would further suggest you guys are getting a bargain, as that is a lot less than a lot of nonprofit orgs pay their head folks.

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I was referring to the 870 individuals referenced in the Labor Notes article.

In my opinion many CUPE members haven't received, any representation from CUPE.

[ 30 January 2007: Message edited by: CUPE_Reformer ]