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UPO 1

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Everything posted by UPO 1

  1. Hey dunnlick are you in capital or maintenance. Congrats. Spikemauler class ends December 4th
  2. very true lol. Everyone was dying to get some experience in but we spent a lot of the day waiting for work. When it eventually came we didn't do much at all.
  3. Congrats to all my track brothers and sisters who graduated training today. Good luck and safe work out in the field. To all who are waiting for that call, I spoke to my trainer and he said there should be another class before the end of the year. Also if you wear glasses make sure you wear them instead of contacts when you go for medical. You WILL be put on medical hold if you don't. Contacts are not allowed on the tracks. I know of 2 guys that were placed on hold for not having glasses for the medical test. One guy had to wait for months to be called in. He should have been in the class before mine. Make sure you have your glasses. Don't get delayed until next year. Good luck. It's a great job. You will find out how great when you start.
  4. spoke to one of your classmates today at 38th street yard. They said you guys had some really crappy picks such as cleaner. My class was fortunate in that regard. About 15 capital jobs and 15 maintenance. Both days and nights. Anyway good luck and if you don't have your CDL take the test and get your permit before the next bid comes up. You could bid right out of chambers street. The test costs $10 bucks and it costs another 12 for them to issue you the permit. If they tell you that you have to take a medical tell them that your job will do it for you. Otherwise they won't issue you a permit. Also bring your passport with you to the exam. They won't issue you a permit without that either. Also your classmates were highly doubtful that you guys dug out 100 ties in the BX the other day. They got a good laugh about that.
  5. Hey Dunnlick what quarters did you end up with. I got union square. Not ideal but the days off and night schedule work for me.
  6. Bobert...I believe the only difference between the 2 plans is that the one that costs more is the high option. Meaning it allows you to go to doctors that are out of network and still be covered. The only benefit I see to this is if you have a doctor that you like who is not in the network and you want to continue going to his or her office. Not worth the money in my opinion. But check with the staff when you start to make sure you are getting the right plan for you and your family. I will be getting the cheapest plan because they are all good. I don't mind paying compartments if my upfront insurance cost is low or free. Free would be best. Had GHI in the past which is expensive and had the empire plan working for the state which is supper cheap in comparison and didn't see a difference and I have 3 kids and a wife. As a matter of fact if you ask me the empire plan was better. You really get the red carpet treatment because providers know they don't have to fight to get their money. Will also gladly pay the extra 2% for lifetime coverage. Take it from an old guy. It's worth every penny.
  7. 27 hours of OT a week doubles your salary. no matter what you make. if your salary is 1 million, do 27 hours of OT a week and you get 2 mill. I don't plan on doing 27 hours per week but I do plan on working 1 of my days off if possible and a few extra hours during the week for my first 6 months. From what i understand about capitol thats pretty easy to get. As for time with the wife and kids...I used to work for the Post Office. Postal workers work 6 days a week for most of their carrers and scarcely ever get saturday and sunday off. There are guys who work for 25 years and never got saturday and sunday off every single weekend. If you are lucky you get a full weekend off once a month. I'm used to it. You make time for your family. Believe me there are ways to work around it. Missing too much time drives you and your family crazy though. Spending too much time with the wife and kids can also drive you crazy. Its been 15 years I love em all to death and always will but sometimes I want to line them up like in the 3 stooges and just go down the line smacking. Finding a good balance is key.
  8. doubt I will transfer to another craft. I know what track is like and it fits me. Most I will probably do is promote to supervisor when the time comes. I don't want to drive a bus, don't want to be in an office, don't want to utilize my education that cost me 100k because at my age I know what I want. I would be comfortable working track until I retire. When it becomes too much for my body I will sit on my ass and tell people what to do. Besides...my education will allow me to make a lot of money on the side once I gain the capital I need to invest properly which I will get from the job. So I'm not looking for more money from the job other than the OT I need to catch up. But if you are looking for more just transfer after a year or take a promo (also to transfer). BTW saw you in the office on friday (bookbag and bubble vest correct?) will say what's up if I see you in the system.
  9. if you are lucky enough to pick capitol like I will you will do 80k easy your first year. That's where a lot of the OT is.
  10. top pay right now is around 30-31. By the time we hit top pay 6 years from now it will be higher. However, if you are looking for more money just take a promo exam once you pass probation. Just keep over 50% of your sick time to be promoted and take a test. Or transfer to a different craft. Right now I think starting salary for train operator is at our top pay.
  11. what?!! That's BS. Here I am telling people we got the last good contract cause everyone taking tests now has to wait for 6 years for top pay and we only have to wait 4. Wish the union had some way to fight that but whatever. Glad to have the job. And considering I will pick capitol, i'll make the OT anyway
  12. Btw. My boy was on wind detail the other day while on OT. Just to give you an idea of what type of stuff we will be doing. He got paid $45 an hour to watch the wind blow.
  13. thanks dunnlick. Can't wait to start. Hope to see you in the system man.
  14. didn't know that. I will not be giving up union dental or vision for any other plan. Any dentist you go to will treat you like royalty when they find out the union pays them. Those plans are great. I have 3 kids so I look over these things thoroughly. Will see which fits when I get there. Don't mind the copays as long as the plan is great. I think they had lifetime health insurance in the past. Doubt they still have that. In the past lots of government jobs had lifetime health for yourself and your spouse. That would be an unbelivably great thing if they had it. But I won't hold my breath.
  15. i wouldnt mind at all nyprospect. I still love consulting I just would not do it professionally ever again. Free advice is no problem though cause I love talking about finance and retirement. Would explain why 10% is good for most people but kind of a drawn out explanation. The short of it though is that your 1st 5% would be taxed if you didn't put it into your 401k so if you don't do 5% you are giving it to the IRS instead of putting it into your pocket. EX: if you have 2 checks for 80 hours and in one check you didn't make any contribution to your 401k but in the other you put 5% into it, you would see that your net pay is the same amount. The only difference is in one you gave the 5% ($86.48 at our current base pay) to the IRS. In the one where you made the contribution however, you put 86.48 in your pocket. In addition to that you would get more back on your tax return because you would lower your taxable income from $45,000 (base pay) to 42,800 so the IRS can only tax you on 42,800. If your OT increases raise your contribution. Pay yourself instead of the IRS. No one should put less than 10% in. That's what I told all of my clients. Its worth it.
  16. yeah I know dunnlick. I worked for the post office for 10 years. This would have been my 16th year. Long story but I left to start my own asset management firm. The benefits here are way better than the P.O. As for passes to ride the train daveyboy...you get a separate pass for metro north they should have given you the form during final processing. I live in long island so I had to fill out a form for a LIRR pass in addition to getting my MTA pass. Your pass is also good for life even when you retire. When I was taking my photo for ID as a matter of fact a retired dude came in to get a new pass. Also if you want or need more OT pick capital. I actually get first pick in my class since I was the first or second one to be sworn in for the oct 26th class. I will be picking capital for sure. Got a lot of catching up to do financially. Anyone pciking health insurance I can speak from experience that the empire plan is great. I used to have GHI which was great. But that empire plan is better and much much cheaper. Also utilize that FSA especially if you have kids. It will lower your tax bracket so that you get more money back on your taxes. It will also make up to 5k of your money tax free. Read that FSA info carefully. You can use the money to pay a relitive who is not your dependant "babysitting" fees up to 5k take that money and pay some bills tax free. I've helped many people retire and save for retirement. One of the major things that separates people who have money from those who dont is that the people who have understand how to use the tax code to avoid overpaying and to lower their tax burden. If done correctly a person making 60k a year can live like they are making 100k a year. On the other hand the person making 100k who doesnt understand how to use the tax code to their advantage may as well be making 60k a year. It makes a big difference and is all legal because you have to provide certain paperwork to use certain things. Anyway make sure you put a minimum of 10% into your 401k. I will be putting 20% because i will be doing a good amount of OT.
  17. Good luck Dunnlick. Make that money man. It's easy work. They just make it sound difficult. The worst thing is dealing with the weather. We will be out in all types. Get proper gear like underarmour or ski gear and the cold will be much more bearable. Looks like this winter could be a rough on too. Also. If you want to see the family try to get days. Nights is where most of the OT is. Have fun man. Btw Dunnlick is it really only 20 people in your class?
  18. high blood pressure = medical hold. You will get a pink slip and you will have to leave and wait till god knows when to get another chance to come in. They test you more than once though. After you do all the tests mentioned above then you see the doctor who will either pass you or put you on hold. Come up high on your second test and you will get the pink slip. Doesn't have to be really high either. A bus operator I was talking to said his was slightly high but went down when the doctor checked him. The doctor said if it had remained elevated he would have had to give this kid a pink slip. Long story short...if you have high blood pressure take care of that shit. Buy a machine and test yourself regularly or do it at CVS. Can't afford that? Then take your meds. Don't have meds or insurance, then get this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0066CQ668/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1443878124&sr=8-1&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=arginine+infusion take it two times a day, once before bed, and anytime during the day. Do some cardio, and stay away from salt. BTW that stuff was invented because of a doctor named Louis Ignaro. He won the nobel peace prize for his research in cardiovascular health. Because of his research statins were made and so was viagra. Long story short. If you have high blood pressure it will lower you pressure. If you have low blood pressure it will raise it to where it should be, it lowers your cholesterol, flushes plaque out of your arteries, dialates your blood vessels, and corrects E.D. To the point that you will wake up every morning with the type of hard on you woke up with when you were in your teens. All of us a certain age group know the deal. Once you get to a certain age shit works but not in the same way. Take this stuff and everything works the way it should. I'll spare you guys the specifics.
  19. what's up dunnlick. Unfortunately for me the guy before me on the list was the last person to get sworn in for the 10-5 class. However, I was the first person sworn in for the 10-26 class. Took my photo for ID, got fingerprinted, and got my book for class. I'll keep an eye out for you in the system. So not so bad news for me and great news for guys who are waiting. There was 1 other track guy after me who got sworn in for track. His list number was 35#. So if you are in the 350 to 450 range you could possibly make it to the next class on the 26th. As for medical I wouldn't worry unless you have high blood pressure. They seem to take that pretty serious. My hand was broken 2 years ago and the doc didn't seem to care. After doing my hearing test, piss test for blood sugar, and blowing into a breathalizer type device to check my lung capacity I went to see a doctor to get cleared for service. My boy dunnlick posted that they make you squat and check all kinds of stuff. The other guys who were there confirmed this. My experience was a little different. My doc pretty much looked at me, checked my heart rate and said "your passed". The only thing she did was ask me a list of questions about my medical history. Good luck to all waiting. You may get a call within 2 weeks.
  20. just got felt up by a sexy asian nurse named elizabeth for my ECCG test. Nice! Word of advice put some lotion on I think she was into me until she saw how disgustingly ashy my legs were lol. Looked like legs that should be on a crack head. Anyway she was hot. Finished all my medical. Waiting to get called again. To you guys who are wondering when you will be called in I will say this. MTA waits until the last minute to process you. With that said, if you got your first letter to come in this week you will be working soon enough. I had a 1 and a half week gap between coming in for pre interview and final processing. Unless they start another class a few weeks from now I wouldn't expect to get called in for final processing if I was waiting. Track class is 6 weeks long and they usually take a little break in between class. So realistically guys who came in this week should expect to come back at the end of november at the earliest. Still that's not a long wait. I'm sure they need people for the holidays so maybe they will speed up the process. I don't think they run more than one track class at a time though so end of november is what I would expect if I was still waiting to get called. Good luck everyone.
  21. I'm 348. Got another guy here who is a few numbers ahead of me. Anyone not here today for final processing won't make it into Oct 5th class but with the numbers getting called for initial processing I'm sure there will be another class soon. What's up mmarcial good luck. I am still in the building just finished hearing test. Sound are really low anyone taking it would swear they are failing but everyone seems to pass it.
  22. currently at livingston for final processing. Office is busy. Just saw a guy get turned away because he didn't bring the specific IDs that charlie moran said to bring in. He asked if he could come back today but the lady at the desk said no. So to anyone who has to come in for final processing make sure you pay attention when you get that call and bring all IDs you are instructed to bring. They will tell you to leave and god knows how long it will be before you get back in. Not too many trackworkers here for final processing. I'm sitting next to a kid who is here for bus operator. His list number is 276*. I said holy shit you're lucky to get in. He said he got an 85 on the test.
  23. 1 rule of most government agencies british is that you can leave for whatever reason you want. As long as you don't take your pension money you will remain on the rolls for at least a year. Which means you can be reinstated without going through the process as a new hire. What ever you do don't take that pension money. You will remain on the rolls and could get back in. The letter may refer to that. Many people new to government jobs don't know this. If you worked for the government in the 90s you were made aware of stuff like this. Even people who have worked for some agencies for years don't know this. Its something that people don't really talk about. People don't share info like they used to. Its every man for himself these days (sad). Anyway, you can leave for another job at a different agency, hate the new job, then leave it and come back as if you never left your original position. I won't say transit does this but the fact that they kept you on the rolls as suspended would suggest they do. I know that every government agency I worked for did this because i've used it to switch jobs without the risk of losing my job more than once. Just don't cash out your pension money.
  24. good advice BK the advice to british and everyone else. As for going there unannounced british, I've done it 3 times before getting my letter. I just showed my ID to security and told them I'm on the list and was there to speak to someone at the desk. They never really asked about what. Maybe only once and I told them I needed to make sure I wasn't skipped on the list because of some confusion with DCAS. When I called DCAS the line was saying I was no longer on file so I just wanted to make sure transit still had me on the list. That was the only time they ever asked. Other than that they just let me walk in as if I had an appointmet when I showed my ID.
  25. wow. Sorry to hear that British. I can't imagine how you feel. I know how I would feel considering how much I need this and how long it took. Hearing that would be like getting punched in the gut. Don't give up man. Fight until you get some results. Go up there and make some noise if you have to. I'm sure there is someone who would listen and point you in the right direction. When you contact people by phone its easy for them to brush you off. Too many of them just brush people off. Go to livingston, speak to as many people as you can and get in the Oct 5th class. If it were me I would be going there right now. I suggest you get off your ass soldier and get there before thursday. Multiple times if you have to.
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