[thirtypointer]

Just curious how you other wage earners are doing. My governor here (Wisconsin) thinks I have it made because I work for the government and I am in a union. If you work for a living, when was the last time you got a salary increase and how much was it percentage wise?

My last one was in Janurary 2009 and it was 2% plus we kicked in to additonal health insurance co-pays and an increase in paying for a portion of the premium.

Anyone else?


.

[65WJ]

I work for family and my last raise was in 2000
I have had 1 week vacation (march 2007) the last 4 years. No benifits, no retirement plan, just a pay check. WHY do I do this to myself?

patrick

[wbob69]

Originally Posted by 65WJ

I work for family and my last raise was in 2000
I have had 1 week vacation (march 2007) the last 4 years. No benifits, no retirement plan, just a pay check. WHY do I do this to myself?

patrick

Do we work for the same employer? LOL

[mechanic17]

September 2004. Have gone from contract to contract job since, doing the same thing each time, and my salary is now $3000 less per annum than it was then. And how much has inflation increased?

First generation to be poorer than our parents.

[Bob Rutledge]

I don't think your Governor thinks you have it made. I haven't had a raise in years, and have been laid off a few times since 2000. It hasn't been fun in the IT business for a while. I do believe your Governor is trying to make some headway to meet a budget, at least that is what the news tells us. Hopefully he can also get into some entitlement spending cuts as well. But hey, if your state Democratic Senators show up to work and vote, hopefully you will be one of the ones spared from the axe. I wish you the best.

[bird72]

Going on 3 years no raise. I think anyone who thinks raises are part of the last couple of years economic world, or the next couple of years for that matter, needs to reevaluate. Feel blessed to work and hope for an upturn in 2 or 3 years. It is pure hunker down times. And I pay more for insurance each year, my employer less, so I in fact have gotten reduced pay, somewhat. Don't like it, but it just is.

[sleepy]

Can't speak to that for me as I own the business. My wife however got a 1% raise Jan 09, has to pay half the cost of our health insurance and IF she wants to join the company retirement they will match up to $2,000 a year for a 401K.
My drivers get the same deal from me.
Why do you union folks think you are entitled to free health insurance,automatic raises(whether your worth a sh!t in your job or not),union protection for worthless workers and think the company(or state) should save money for your retirement? Don't you think YOU should plan for the future?

[thirtypointer]

"Why do you union folks think you are entitled to free health insurance,automatic raises(whether your worth a sh!t in your job or not),union protection for worthless workers and think the company(or state) should save money for your retirement? Don't you think YOU should plan for the future?[/QUOTE]"

Is this your rubber stamp attack on me because I am in a union? How original? I have never gotten anything free at work. Anything I have benefit wise (insurance, retirement) is compensation for working. I was only looking for an answer to my raise question.

[sleepy]

Originally Posted by thirtypointer

"Why do you union folks think you are entitled to free health insurance,automatic raises(whether your worth a sh!t in your job or not),union protection for worthless workers and think the company(or state) should save money for your retirement? Don't you think YOU should plan for the future?

"

Is this your rubber stamp attack on me because I am in a union? How original? I have never gotten anything free at work. Anything I have benefit wise (insurance, retirement) is compensation for working. I was only looking for an answer to my raise question.[/QUOTE]

Is that your rubber stamp union response? You work for the state/county/city NOT a "for profit" corporation. There shouldn't even be a union for PUBLIC workers.

Tell us. What would you do if your family spent more than they take in? Go to everyone in the town you live in and at gun point demand some of the money they didn't spend(that's what taxes are)?
Or would you cut back on what you spend?

[Mr_GTO]

Originally Posted by thirtypointer

Is this your rubber stamp attack on me because I am in a union? How original? I have never gotten anything free at work. Anything I have benefit wise (insurance, retirement) is compensation for working. I was only looking for an answer to my raise question.

Compensation for working? Are you serious?

Again, when things go well, people get pay raises. when things aren't going well you get laid off. I know people who took pay cuts to keep their jobs.

If you don't like what you're seeing, get another job.

[GT182]

Well, no COLA raises for the last 3 years for Social Security. And YES.... 3 years including this year. That is a fact. But our Medicare payments sure went up... every year.

I believe the last pay raise I had when working was back in 1991 in our Carhaul contract. Could have been a year or two before 91 but not sure... cause I didn't memorise or write down the date.

[thirtypointer]

Originally Posted by Mr_GTO

Compensation for working? Are you serious?

Again, when things go well, people get pay raises. when things aren't going well you get laid off. I know people who took pay cuts to keep their jobs.

If you don't like what you're seeing, get another job.

I consider my benefits part of my overall compensation. Don't you? My employer gives me a report each year indicating my wages and benefits (insurance, vacation, etc) figured into a combined hourly average wage virtual in nature. That is what I am referring to as "compensation for working". It is earned.

[mviker]

I'm in IT also. Just glad to have a job these days. Don't have the luxury of discussing raises. We cover our own 401K and healthcare as well.

[Old Man Taylor]

Although I retired in January of 2009, my last raise was in 1997. It was about 3%. I was in computer engineering and manufacturing.

[Bob Rutledge]

BTW, Thirtypointer, I don't want to seem like I was coming down on you, but there are a ton of people in the same boat, but a bunch are worse off. I would hate it if my boss came to me and said he would have to reach into my pockets to help pay for my health care and retirement, and whatever else, but times are tough and most people are hurting. I was making 62k a year with Delta back in 99. Didn't pay a penny for health care, no co-pays, great matching 401k, and a retirement. 12 years later I am making 65k a year, paying for health care, along with co-pays, still have a decent matching 401k which is doing ok now, and have to pitch in for retirement benefits, unlike with Delta. So yea, with the rising costs of everything, along with the other stuff I have to pay, I am bringing home a lot less than I used to. We all have to tough it out, make good calls by electing the people we think will work for us, but until lately with the tea party uprising, it has been pick the lesser of 2 evils. I wish everybody in the working sector good luck, as I don't see things getting better any time soon.

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by Bob Rutledge

We all have to tough it out, make good calls by electing the people we think will work for us, but until lately with the tea party uprising, it has been pick the lesser of 2 evils. I wish everybody in the working sector good luck, as I don't see things getting better any time soon.

Correct, the TWO evils do NOT have to be choosen

The Tea party wants Smaller Government, Government OUT of out houses, emails, and lives, AND, the best part.. They want The Government taking LESS from ALL of us, so we keep MORE. >> Pontiac parts.. hint?
In the first obama budget he signed ( promised NO EARMARKS) there was 8,000 + earmarks.
Want a raise??>> Just One Earmark was ALOT of money for gays in San francisco to study how to have anal sex while having diareha..( nancy pelosi)
WHO knows how to spend YOUR money better? YOU, or the Government at 40% efficiency, WHEN they get it right???
want a raise?>>> I have no problems with Unions, but many are just far away out of financial control and force members to donate to liberals, indirectly, but STILL is wrong.
Now is NOT the time for Union folks to bitch about raises...especially Government Union workers. Government hiring in last 2 years is over 20% increase. Salaries for those over 80K went up 29% in many areas..payback to Unions...
Tea party is sick of it, Americans are sick of it.
The Government makes NO PRODUCT , it is supposed to provide some basic services, but it IS a NEGATIVE on the balance sheets...This economy cannot afford anything unless PRIVATE sector small business taxes are cut SHARPLY, and the economy gets going.
Maybe The teachers Unions should ask for their "dues" back. Theres alot of good ones who could work in cheaper, more efficent private schools.

[sleepy]

What would happen to anyone who didn't show up for work for two weeks or more? Do you think that should be considered a voluntary quit?

[Brian Baker]

Economy is in the crapper, and most everyone is hurting, but...union employees, both public and private sector, seem to be doing better than most. Not a slam, just fact.

[Formula8]

It will be very interesting to see where people take this thread. To address the OP's question, I ended up with a 1.5% increase last year. Sounds great and all but due to staffing cutbacks, I had to take on roughly 50% more work that results in me being up till midnight doing work. I figure I have needed to add about 3-4 hours to my day so in some respect, that is a huge pay cut out of my pocket that went straight into the bottom line of my company (who BTW is making record profits). IMO, that is what is occuring and why worker productivity is very high right now.

My bigger concern is that we appear to be engaged in a race to the bottom mentality that essentially says, "I'm getting screwed so why shouldn't you" and the net effect is putting all workers against each other for who will work for less compensation while companies are making record profits. I suppose the end game to that is we eventually end up competing with the likes of North Korea for who can work for less while the people that run our companies sacrifice little and enjoy the benefits as people that work fight amoung themselves for the scraps.

Of course, that is somewhat the nature of competition and that is baked into the American DNA but so is a sense of balance and fairness.

[Jim Zeek]

Originally Posted by Formula8

we appear to be engaged in a race to the bottom mentality that essentially says, "I'm getting screwed so why shouldn't you"

Exactly! Don't be jealous just because we got a better deal than you.