Do you think government salaries are out of control ?

[mastercool]

(Not a troll post). I'm serious. Many of the salaries are simply ludicrous for what the job entails.

For example, a friend of mine was getting paid close to $25 an hour to spray bugs all around the city. A private company would most likely be paying him minimum wage - $12.50 maximum.

I was checking wages for call center employees at Canada Post and they're paid $23.15 starting wage. Most university grads don't even start at that much and you'd be lucky to find a call center position from a private company offering half that.

Now, you could just tell me why don't I should just find a job working in some function of the government. Well, that's a lot easier said than done. It seems that most of the hiring is done internally or through nepotism/some hard to control factor. I know COMPLETE morons who work for the government who barely graduated high school and probably are too dumb to get hired anywhere else. I'm not exaggerating either - this guy I went to high school with was too dumb to graduate from the local community college and since his dad is a higher-up with the government, he's set for life.

Do you guys think that the wages are always going to be this high? All throughout school, many fellow students emphasized how they wanted to work for the government and be well paid while not really creating or producing anything. It seems that nobody wants to start their own business or take risks anymore. People are just looking for a fast buck and way out.

[sirex]

Private company: Charges $22 an hour for the same job. Pays his employee $10 an hour. Pockets the difference.

[4seasonscentre]

I do think wages are higher than they need to be, but I am more concerned about the defined-benefit pensions which are very expensive. I work in the private sector and our salaries at the bottom of the food chain are probably worst than the public sector, but we also work for a CEO that is making millions. Even senior management at the civil service doesn't make that much.

When I was in school I wanted a government job but it didn't happen. Now that I have a job I'm kind of hesitant to leave because I'm someone that likes to get things done and has a sense of urgency. I might find it frustrating working in the bureaucracy. I'm also concerned there might be a backlash against the civil service (Harper didn't take long to legislate those Canada Post workers back to work) and the first people to be cut will be those with low seniority.

[virgilaug]

Why don't you become a risk takers. Start your own business and one day you can be one of those CEOs making millions a year.

[CDNPatriot]

The problem is not that government salaries are out of control, but rather the private sector middle class salaries have been eroding at a rapid pace during our generation.

http://boundarysentinel.com/news/bow...are-king-16514

[anon666]

Why don't you become a risk takers. Start your own business and one day you can be one of those CEOs making millions a year.

Are you writing speeches for the Republican Primary candidates? The myth of the American (and to a lesser extent, the Canadian) dream: everyone can make it to the top earning bracket if they just work hard enough! It's a damn good myth; it's kept the majority of Americans in line for this long. I think they may be starting to clue in now though and the Mitt Romneys of the world are getting nervous.

Are government salaries out of control? "Out of control" is a harsh descriptor. Certainly some classifications have salary brackets that are way out of proportion to the skill level, education, responsibilities of the employee. Adminstrative (secretarial) staff comes to mind. Most are making in the 40k-50k range, which in many cases is only slightly below the salaries of their bosses. A lot of professionals, however, are underpaid compared to what they could be making in the private sector. Scientists, physicans and lawyers, for example, are paid much, much less than their private sector counterparts.

I take strong issue with the trite claim that government work doesn't produce anything. A professional and competent bureaucracy provides timely, relevant and highly professional advice which enables our elected government to do its job well and to provide important and high quality services to citizens. *****hole countries the world over are sh!holes because in addition to having corrupt politicians, they have incompetent and corrupt civil services. Our bureaucrats don't do everything right all the time, but for the most part we have some of the best bureaucracies seen the world over. Our society and democracy is better because of that fact.

[BoogieWilliams]

Your typical worker makes way more by working for the government as opposed to the private sector. As for professionals such as accountants, engineers, lawyers, etc. make either less or about the same as the private sector with limited opportunity for growth.

[vaportrails]

Private company: Charges $22 an hour for the same job. Pays his employee $10 an hour. Pockets the difference.

This +1000

At least the government gives people a fair wage for their 9-5 to make a middle class life for themselves. The way some people carry on around here, it's almost like you don't deserve a fair wage unless you come up with your own profitable business plan. Well, our entire country can't just be CEOs, their friends and minimum wage workers. All of these houses aren't going to fill themselves, and those shiny new cars in the lots aren't going to drive themselves. The foundation of N. America is a thriving middle class.

Without someone setting an artificial standard, the private sector will have nothing keeping them humble. The day we subject all public sector employees to private sector wages, is the day that every non-executive employee in Canada gets a 20% pay cut.

[moofur]

For the most part, no I don't think that government salaries are out of control. There are examples where lower level employees are overpaid, but it's offset by the higher level employees who are paid less than those in the private sector. However I would be more concerned about overpaying public vs. private workers since public workers are getting paid by the taxpayers, while private employees are paid by their shareholders. If they want to blow their money and run their businessike that, that's their own perogative, and they suffer through lower profits.

What IS out of control in my opinion are the benefits and the sense of entitlement in the public sector, mostly propagated by the union. People like Paul Moist and Mark Ferguson make me sick. I wonder if they really believe in what they say. If they do, it's disturbing and sad. If not, they're liars. It's unfortunate either way, with the losers being taxpayers and the union members, who are ultimately their tools.

[Hansol]

Pockets the difference? Pretty contrived...

Out of that "difference" the employer has to pay for equipment, insurance, fuel, office supplies, professional fees, other wages, etc. You know, overhead...

Like another poster said, the wages aren't necessarily out of order, but those defined benefit government pensions are going to be where things start to get ugly in the future.

[Mark77]

At low levels, yes. For instance, liquor store workers getting $20/hour and pensions, when the equivalent working in another form of retail, ie: Wal-Mart, gets half of that and no pension.

At senior levels as well. Judges and lawyers, for example are paid far higher than market rates.

The only positions I think that are generally underpaid in government are that of science and engineering professionals, and technicians related to the same. As well, the Prime Minister and the Premiers are significantly underpaid for their responsibilities and authority. There are many hundreds of public servants (including HR clerks) that actually are paid more than the Premier of Ontario.

[Kappa21]

In the private sector....you rejoice in the boom and you cry in the bust.
In the public sector ....you just ride whatever wave they give you.

A salary in the public sector is guranteed. Especially where you are unionized. You are promised to get not only a pay increase every annum, but you get an economic pay increase (the economy will inflate and so will your pay regardless.... 0.30 cents higher) even if you maxed out your annual pay increase.
That is all good news ofcourse, but people in the public sector get rewarded quicker for jobs they love to do. You can say that if both rates were the same, someone in the private sector would be able to earn 30,000 quicker than someone in the public sector. Bonuses and stock options are hardly a known thing with government employees....

I remember when I was working for the government, end of day meant end of day. You leave. No overtime work. No nothing. You leave and an hour later the facility is shut down until opening day. You got overdue work. So what? it may take a day, it may take a week..but no one will fire you for it.

Good days!

[anon666]

At senior levels as well. Judges and lawyers, for example are paid far higher than market rates.

Total bull. Lawyers are paid below market rate in the public sector. Government lawyers aren't where they are for the money.

What is the market rate for judges in the private sector? Oh, right, there are no judges in the private sector, because the judiciary is the third branch of government. Interesting you can say things like "[a]s well, the Prime Minister and the Premiers are significantly underpaid for their responsibilities and authority" but suggest similarly high-level decision makers in another branch of government are overpaid. Give me a break.

[Mark77]

Total bull. Lawyers are paid below market rate in the public sector. Government lawyers aren't where they are for the money.

Yeah right, with pensions, government lawyers are outearning their private sector counterparts by a wide margin.

Don't confuse the average salary of a lawyer, with what an extremely small group of lawyers earn in the financial sector, or in relative niche positions.

What is the market rate for judges in the private sector? Oh, right, there are no judges in the private sector, because the judiciary is the third branch of government. Interesting you can say things like "[a]s well, the Prime Minister and the Premiers are significantly underpaid for their responsibilities and authority" but suggest similarly high-level decision makers in another branch of government are overpaid. Give me a break.

Harper and McGuinty run for democratic re-election every so many years. Judges do not. They have no accountability. Therefore, their pay should be dramatically lower. If judges were to run for office, then maybe there would be a case for their exhorbiant compensation because at least they could be held accountable.

[Loke21]

Total bull. Lawyers are paid below market rate in the public sector. Government lawyers aren't where they are for the money.

What is the market rate for judges in the private sector? Oh, right, there are no judges in the private sector, because the judiciary is the third branch of government. Interesting you can say things like "[a]s well, the Prime Minister and the Premiers are significantly underpaid for their responsibilities and authority" but suggest similarly high-level decision makers in another branch of government are overpaid. Give me a break.

lol yeah what the hell. prosecutors in alberta start at 70k and top out around 160k. the one's who get crown positions are great candidates and could make much more money elsewhere.

similarly, judges are underpaid compared to what they could be making in a firm.