Takoma Park Maryland raises for city council but not workers?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any info on this? The union position is that they want a 5.5% or 5.4% raise, which would keep up with inflation, but instead the Council is planning to double their own salaries and the mayor's salary, which will total more than the raise the union's asking for--is this accurate?

[Anonymous]

https://www.helptakomaparkworkers.org/

This has quite a bit of information. Hope this helps. Also it is despicable that they would give themselves a raise but not all the front line works...

[Anonymous]

lol... so the people's republic of takoma park has their own nomenklatura?

[Anonymous]

That’s how things work under socialism - working class suffers while the “leaders” share the spoils

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s how things work under socialism - working class suffers while the “leaders” share the spoils

Exactly! 😂

[Anonymous]

I'm on the union's side in terms of their pay. It absolutely should go up at least as much as they requested.

While I get that the rhetoric is effective, I do think it's disingenuous to connect it to the council/mayor salaries. The "doubled" council salaries are $24,000/year, which is barely minimum wage based on council hours worked (20-50 hours is apparently average, $24,000 is minimum wage at around 30 hours per week).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the union's side in terms of their pay. It absolutely should go up at least as much as they requested.

While I get that the rhetoric is effective, I do think it's disingenuous to connect it to the council/mayor salaries. The "doubled" council salaries are $24,000/year, which is barely minimum wage based on council hours worked (20-50 hours is apparently average, $24,000 is minimum wage at around 30 hours per week).

Do they work for hourly wage? If not, why they put themselves before these city workers? I assume the council men or women have full time jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the union's side in terms of their pay. It absolutely should go up at least as much as they requested.

While I get that the rhetoric is effective, I do think it's disingenuous to connect it to the council/mayor salaries. The "doubled" council salaries are $24,000/year, which is barely minimum wage based on council hours worked (20-50 hours is apparently average, $24,000 is minimum wage at around 30 hours per week).

What is the reason for the increase? Obviously, doubling is not some attempt to match inflation. It looks like they are trying to match the compensation in other nearby local governments. Do they need this increase to attract better councilers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the union's side in terms of their pay. It absolutely should go up at least as much as they requested.

While I get that the rhetoric is effective, I do think it's disingenuous to connect it to the council/mayor salaries. The "doubled" council salaries are $24,000/year, which is barely minimum wage based on council hours worked (20-50 hours is apparently average, $24,000 is minimum wage at around 30 hours per week).

I find it hard to believe Takoma Park councilmembers work that much. County Councilmembers don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the union's side in terms of their pay. It absolutely should go up at least as much as they requested.

While I get that the rhetoric is effective, I do think it's disingenuous to connect it to the council/mayor salaries. The "doubled" council salaries are $24,000/year, which is barely minimum wage based on council hours worked (20-50 hours is apparently average, $24,000 is minimum wage at around 30 hours per week).

What is the reason for the increase? Obviously, doubling is not some attempt to match inflation. It looks like they are trying to match the compensation in other nearby local governments. Do they need this increase to attract better councilers?

Takoma Park only has 17-18,000 people. We do not need full-time councilmembers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the union's side in terms of their pay. It absolutely should go up at least as much as they requested.

While I get that the rhetoric is effective, I do think it's disingenuous to connect it to the council/mayor salaries. The "doubled" council salaries are $24,000/year, which is barely minimum wage based on council hours worked (20-50 hours is apparently average, $24,000 is minimum wage at around 30 hours per week).

What is the reason for the increase? Obviously, doubling is not some attempt to match inflation. It looks like they are trying to match the compensation in other nearby local governments. Do they need this increase to attract better councilers?

Takoma Park only has 17-18,000 people. We do not need full-time councilmembers.

Hours worked wasn't the primary reason in the PowerPoint presentation. Just a list of salaries of nearby local governments. Since council members are salaried, not hourly workers, the discussion of hours doesn't make sense. Higher pay doesn't reduce the hours worked either. Add a council member or two.

https://documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/agendas/2020/Meeting-Documents/council-compensation-task-force-recommendations-20200422.pdf

[Anonymous]

This story is really pretty funny. The silly folks in TP failed to consider the obvious optics here, showing their basic cluelessness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s how things work under socialism - working class suffers while the “leaders” share the spoils

Exactly! 😂

Seriously, I can’t even believe that anyone is surprised by this! What ELSE would you expect a bunch of elected demloons to do but give themselves a raise while stiffing everyone else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the union's side in terms of their pay. It absolutely should go up at least as much as they requested.

While I get that the rhetoric is effective, I do think it's disingenuous to connect it to the council/mayor salaries. The "doubled" council salaries are $24,000/year, which is barely minimum wage based on council hours worked (20-50 hours is apparently average, $24,000 is minimum wage at around 30 hours per week).

I find it hard to believe Takoma Park councilmembers work that much. County Councilmembers don't.

I think you may not be considering that TP council members spend their time on nuclear proliferation, world peace, world poverty, all of which are complex issues that require a substantial amount of time and effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on the union's side in terms of their pay. It absolutely should go up at least as much as they requested.

While I get that the rhetoric is effective, I do think it's disingenuous to connect it to the council/mayor salaries. The "doubled" council salaries are $24,000/year, which is barely minimum wage based on council hours worked (20-50 hours is apparently average, $24,000 is minimum wage at around 30 hours per week).

I find it hard to believe Takoma Park councilmembers work that much. County Councilmembers don't.

I think you may not be considering that TP council members spend their time on nuclear proliferation, world peace, world poverty, all of which are complex issues that require a substantial amount of time and effort.

That's not their job.