I'd confirm number 1 because according to the rules, that's only the wage for the first 30 months aka starting rate. After 10 yrs, even with a COL increase he'd be making more than that. Figure even the basic 3% COL over 7 yrs would be 21% or $62900 (but it'd be more since the COL is compounded). Unless of course he did something untoward and didn't get his increases which has to be pretty severe for a union environment.
Nice to see you at least agree that it's a decent wage....least that's something.
As for the dead wood in a non-union environment. The problem is, in a union environment, there is more than 30% dead wood. Least in my experience. Now by dead wood I mean people who do the barest minimum to avoid getting fired. In every non-union environment I worked in if you didn't pull your weight, you were gone but I was salaried so......
I did work in a place that ratified a union. I was the go to guy for the warehouse guys before the union and had no problem pitching in when things needed to get done in a hurry. The guys would come to me for advice, help, guidance etc. After the union was ratified they came to me more often than not because they were getting cut hours even though they were the hardest working albeit the newest. The guys that were there longer slowed WAY down in their production because they knew nothing could touch them. They also came to me because the old timers were on their case because they hustled and were making the old timers look bad.
When it came time for cuts I spoke to the GM about them and he told me there was nothing he could do, it was in the CBA.
That was the final straw for me and unions.....hard working dedicated workers getting the boot and us stuck with the dead wood.