Yes, it is. Take the $8.50 from the early 80's and apply a simple, conservative adjustment for inflation, and you have a starting wage near $20/hr to start right now.
This new contract increased the starting wage so that it's now up to half of what it was. It was less than that.
You could work part-time at UPS and pay for college and your apartment on that alone. Now you can't pay for either of those by themselves, forget both.
This is the first thing that crosses my mind when a driver complains about the work of someone who makes 1/10th of his check.
Sorry for the side-tracking. I just wanted the new guy to know where he stands.