Following up on yesterday’s first installment of a series, the Detroit News today looks at how much union bosses should be paid. UFCW members should take note — the paper uses UFCW as an example of overly generous wages:
There’s more:
In 2004, union-represented lead store clerks at the top of the scale at Meijer received a 1.9 percent raise — 35 cents an hour. That same year, Potter’s total compensation increased 5.2 percent — from $229,000 to $237,000. In 2005, when Meijer employees at the top of the scale received no raises, Potter’s total compensation jumped 29 percent, reaching $305,000.
Of course, if you listen to Potter, this is a national issue for UFCW members. The paper reports:
“I’m not embarrassed or apologetic about what I make,” Potter told The News. “Even at my highest salary, I was never in the top 20 in the UFCW in the country.”
The UFCW’s labor bosses are among the highest paid in the United States, with 33 officers making more than $200,000 in base salary in 2006 — many of whom earned thousands more by drawing additional paychecks from the union’s international office. The average UFCW member earns between $25,000 and $30,000 a year, with many at Michigan grocery stores earning less.
Kind of have to wonder what members are getting for their money.