Wages

arbilad · Head Chef

Wages

Jeffery_LQ1W · Senior Member

I always check the source of the information.

The "Economic Policy Institute" is a think tank, but it is a think tank that is very much pro protectionist and pro union. What I find interesting in the whole situation is that these people are saying that increased trade with less barriers has worsened for all three countries. Actually Mexico has benefitted enormously, especially the Mexican consumer which has been able to buy US goods without the typical 50% tax imposed to protect local industries.

Inflation has been relatively stable for the past decade or so. Unemployment is low. Do we have workers in the auto industry making 100K a year to simply show up and turn screws? No, significantly less than before. Does that go into their calculation of showing a "deterioration"? Yes.

I can name other think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, who would produce the opposite numbers. So generally I look to other items, like home ownership, automobile ownership and other factors that reflect a more realistic well being. Home ownership is way up, a greater percentage of all classes own their own homes and cars than ever before.

EPI is very partisan and very selective. Unions love quoting them.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

In a 12 year period? Well let's see... I went from making a starting level salary that barely kept the family fed to poverty level while in graduate school and the year thereafter to making more than double what I made before graduate school when I did become gainfully employed again to 8 years with the same firm, still underemployed based on my credentials and still not quite making the average starting salary of my graduating MBA class...

I can't say if NAFTA has anything to do with it or not. I would have to say that it has more to do with the fact the firm I work for has had a great track record of paying below market since the previous CEO was hired and we've been working on repairing the devestation he and his cronies caused the company before getting fired and walking laughing with tens of millions in severance to the bank and then the fact our industry has been in hard times lately and has been evolving into a global model.

I'm grateful everyday I have a job. Would I like to be doing something more meaningful career wise? Sure? Would I like to be making more money and not have the level of debt? You bet I would. Would I like the same level of career / job insecurity and hours and travel many of the other men in my ward with MBA's working at other Fortune 100's have to deal with? H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS NO!

It isn't just NAFTA or things like that that are to blame for wage problems. It is also corporate and executive greed, unions and union greed (I ask you, is it fair for a union member working on an assembly line to be making a higher annual cash compensation than someone who has an MBA, and then still have them holler that they are being jipped? Auto industry union workers may not be making 100K, but when a journeyman carpenter you hometeach can be out of work for 6 months or so due to an injuray and decide he needs to finally start looking for work again because his savings is getting low and he won't consider work for less than about $35 - $40 / hr before overtime, well it still gives you an idea of the disparity.)

I voted it would have stayed relatively flat, but in truth, if we just consider my wages and not the supplimental wages my wife brings in from her job she needed to take just for the supplimental wages a couple years ago, it would more realistically have gone down somewhat, because standard of living has remained flat. Expenses have gone up and my raises have not kept in step with a typical COLA or inflation.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Nafta had very little to do with the High-tech bust... and since I have a hightech job, I think Nafta's grand. Cheaper tomatos from Mexico... me likey!

NOW, if they'd hurry and build that freeway through the middle of the US, I'd be all set to move to Canada. --Ray

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

rayb wrote:

Nafta had very little to do with the High-tech bust... and since I have a hightech job, I think Nafta's grand. Cheaper tomatos from Mexico... me likey!

NOW, if they'd hurry and build that freeway through the middle of the US, I'd be all set to move to Canada. --Ray

Ray, didn't you hear? They're starting to build that highway right after the one to Hawaii.

crazymom5 · Senior Member

Well, my allowance went down due to higher costs at the grocery stores and gas. Does that count? Dh, on the other hand has received his usual raises every year. Except of course this year when he received a mid-year raise to stay with the company, which he was told will not affect his end of year raise.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

crazymom5 wrote:

Well, my allowance went down due to higher costs at the grocery stores and gas. Does that count? Dh, on the other hand has received his usual raises every year. Except of course this year when he received a mid-year raise to stay with the company, which he was told will not affect his end of year raise.

He works for one of the Big Three, right? Sorry, guaranteed annual raises just make me sick (because my company doesn't do it)...

Jeffery_LQ1W · Senior Member

In the past there were no annual raises for me, as a corporate officer it was tied to stock options and bonus pay. Which I didn't mind, it was great incentive for me.