http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_24af32d4-13f4-11df-86b2-001cc4c002e0.html

Local public transit bus drivers top the list of public employee earners in Madison, WI, beating out the Mayor, Police Chief, and numerous other department heads and skilled workers. Union rules awarding first refusal rights for overtime to senior employees helped a bus driver reach the zenith of municipal earning in Madison with a paycheck of nearly $160,000 last year.

The oldest worker gets to spend his time driving when he should be resting? Would be nice to know when you are on a bus being driven by this guy.

Do they have mandatory rest periods? Off the clock, unpaid type rest periods I mean?

What a total joke. When your overtime pay is more than double your base pay, you know something is wrong. They could have hired 2 other full-time or nearly full-time drivers at his base rate, rather than pay this guy to drive a few extra hours at nights, on weekends and holidays at double or triple time pay.


"...Nelson earned $159,258 in 2009, including $109,892 in overtime and other pay...

...the union contract limits part-timers to 15 percent of the number full-time drivers, and part-timers can only drive morning and afternoon school routes. Those rules create opportunities for overtime and other special pay for full-time workers..."