Flair: VENT RANT (flairs aren't offered so I made my own lol)
Disclaimer: It's the only good paying job I can get in the area that's not $7.25 an hour since I can't drive. I'm currently self learning front end development so this will be a thing in the past soon. Thank god
Story: So I work at a factory, 3rd shift. Normal factory. On 3rds, we get a shift differential of 7 cents an hour more than 1st hr. (2nd shift gets a 3 cent differential than 1st).
We have an optional union membership, through the IAM Union (aerospace and mechanics. Something like that). Since workers are too broke to do any form of striking, raises are left up to the union and the company. So the contracts are 3 years long. The first year of a new contract, company wide gets 80c raise, then 25c for year 2 and 25 cents for year 3, then it repeats the same for each new contract. The Union has one worker as a rep on each shift that stands with another member if the supervisor needs to talk to them. That's all the union does for us, since non union get the same treatments as union members do (aside from the rep standing w a member as stated above). ANYWAY.
So we got our 25 cent raise this year – but noticed the raise was higher than expected. With the normal 25 cent raise, us 3rd shift workers would have made $13.56 an hr. But instead, we got 13.81 an hr. Thinking it was a mistake, we found out the owners knew how bad inflation was getting so out of the kindness of their hearts, they gave us an extra 25 cents an hour to help cover inflation costs.
I loathe owners who make millions and think a whole 10 extra dollars a week is going to help us with inflation. Thanks. Can afford half a bread now.
I'm happy to get raises, don't get me wrong. Last factory I was at a couple yrs ago started at 8.30 an hour and topped out at $10. Zero raises, as all raises had stopped 8 years prior. I'm sure they're really suffering now. But also, it's not as bad as the worst factory, gives a strict 7.25 an hr, zero raises, even to those who have been there 14 yrs and up
I don't understand them. They could easily come to my factory and double their money. And get raises yearly. And get 11 days off for July 4th break and Xmas break, plus paid vacay.
But the focus is, of course, the 25 cent inflation raise. Why and how can anyone think that's okay AND super helpful????