Cola 2012/13

[brownmonster]

I would be happy to organize a fundraiser on his behalf.

I'll make cupcakes.

 

[bottomups]

Mark me down for a few bottles of whine.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I'll review his W-4. Oh, wait...never mind.

 

[mike1536]

The Cost of Living Adjustment, if due, is effective every August 1st. But there are no more "August firsts" in the current Contract, therefore, no more COLAs.

Gas and most things are included in the Consumer Price Index. (But tax increases aren't!!! That would make the Government look bad.)

It takes about a 3.5% increase in the CPI from May to May to trigger a COLA payment.

Usually, when a new Contract is agreed to, there is no COLA provision for the first August 1st. The formula would likely start August 1, 2014 and thereafter.

Actually the CPI is a pretty big scam now. They use a small sampling of food and energy. Every month they take a the sample that is the lowest out of the category. For example, for the energy portion in a month where natural gas prices are low and gas for your car is high they will use natural gas instead. The same goes for food. If corn is up 15% that month they will use orange juice if it is only up a few percent. The CPI has not been accurate since the 70s.

You guys go to grocery stores. Look at the prices. There are also other things they do to hide inflation (food companies mainly) when you buy a bag of chips for example, the bag is still big but there are a lot less chips in it, that is just one example. They also use less quality ingredients, such as soybean oil instead of olive oil in a lot of the salad dressings now.

 

[I GOT ONE MORE]

Actually the CPI is a pretty big scam now. They use a small sampling of food and energy. Every month they take a the sample that is the lowest out of the category. For example, for the energy portion in a month where natural gas prices are low and gas for your car is high they will use natural gas instead. The same goes for food. If corn is up 15% that month they will use orange juice if it is only up a few percent. The CPI has not been accurate since the 70s.

You guys go to grocery stores. Look at the prices. There are also other things they do to hide inflation (food companies mainly) when you buy a bag of chips for example, the bag is still big but there are a lot less chips in it, that is just one example. They also use less quality ingredients, such as soybean oil instead of olive oil in a lot of the salad dressings now.

While you may be right, I don't know.

I do find it hard to believe that such a metric would have moving targets to refine a number used on an a annual basis.

That said, I did say it was a convoluted formula.

 

[Buck Fifty]

I'll make cupcakes.

If you and Upstate show up, thats 2 less cupcakes you'll have to make !

 

[Buck Fifty]

Last cola raise was 12 cents. Multiply that by 8 and you get 96 cents. You can get a 12oz can of cola for that. Thats how its figured stupid !

 

[JonFrum]

Actually the CPI is a pretty big scam now. They use a small sampling of food and energy. Every month they take a the sample that is the lowest out of the category. For example, for the energy portion in a month where natural gas prices are low and gas for your car is high they will use natural gas instead. The same goes for food. If corn is up 15% that month they will use orange juice if it is only up a few percent. The CPI has not been accurate since the 70s.

You guys go to grocery stores. Look at the prices. There are also other things they do to hide inflation (food companies mainly) when you buy a bag of chips for example, the bag is still big but there are a lot less chips in it, that is just one example. They also use less quality ingredients, such as soybean oil instead of olive oil in a lot of the salad dressings now.

Actually the Bureau of Labor Statistics is pretty good about calculating the CPI. They calculate three main versions and give extensive analysis and breakdown of each. The problem is people and politicans quote the wrong index, or misinterpret the data, or cherry-pick to prove their point. Just like with the unemployment numbers and other Government statistics.

I think you are talking about the "chained" CPI (C-CPI-U.)

The major CPI is CPI-U.

The one our Contract uses is CPI-W, for workers, not seasonally adjusted. The Government still releases all three each month, but back in March, stopped making our CPI-W easily available!!! You can still find it with extra effort, but news reporters don't do that, so most casual readers will probably be quoting the wrong one from the monthly headlines.