Don't demand higher wages…
Demand that they don't answer to grown frat boys on wallstreet expecting continuous growth and then handing out layoffs when it doesn't happen.
Demand proportional ownership of the means of production.
Demand workers getting promoted instead of shuffling of these financial managers to make you look better for public trading.
Demand votes for CEOs from the actual people they manage, not a board.
Demand that the corporate chains that hold you down either adhere, or make way for an employee centric construct, instead of this facade we have of wallstreet treating our lives and commodities as if they are just gambling chips.
If you really want to keep what you earn, cut out those new yorkers in chairs, and retired men and women making your business investments and collecting the profits they make by paying you the price of a good they will stockpile, and selling it later as if it's in demand, when they're actually short shipping to create artificial shortage.
I recently had a long “conversation” with an arrogant and hateful Chilean millionaire, but one thing i did learn is they will use math that is just based on human actions of selling goods, to justify how they aren't shorting you.
perspective is everything. they think this mathematical hullabaloo is justification of their 6 figures, they think firing you when wallstreet is upset, and replacing you for less, is their contribution to deserve making what 6 actual workers make. They will never pay you more unless it fits in their view of what they're worth. Take that position because you're the ones that let them be there.
Capitalism and it's supporters assume all CEOs worked hard, and think to be there. it's altruistic.
conversely, socialism and it's supporters assume all CEOs and executives are there to exploit them and act maliciously to serve themselves (self preservation is instinct, after all) but this is just as unrealistically cynical, and doesn't deserve to be the only market type.
this generalization and perspective difference keeps you divided. but if YOU contribute, and work your job honestly, why would you have to worry under a true market? (unless you choose a job that doesn't have demand, or some other outliers) CEOs can be deserving, workers can be undeserving, we must acknowledge no group generalizations are ever 100%. this is why I have targeted wallstreet, they aren't working. what do they do? they read reports about money moving, and look to scrape surplus for themselves.
if your innovation actually fills a need or desire, it can succeed without wall street. don't believe their lies of being the only way to grow.
also worth considering: retirement. don't expect it to come from work done years ago, if you want to grow, your investments have to be either cashed out for financial liquidation, or compounded to encourage growth, a stagnant commodity can only grow if demand does and this on it's own is how we encouraged manipulation of commodities. instead, the common people has to understand a dollar today and a dollar tomorrow isn't going to happen on a dollar twenty salary for a day, you either make 60 cents both days, or you make all of it today and none tomorrow, or vice versa. the goal should be to take what you need today, and allow those other assets to reinvest into your career, (typically your employer) so that you may later collect the compounded asset. i realize this sounds like wallstreet, but if you are EOC entirely, it will keep the interest in the actual companies growth, until you cash out, and at that point you should be cashing out to further company members. this should work in voting too. if you don't serve the interest of production, they should be allowed to vote and cash you out against your wishes. this would lead to a machine that will either self cannibalize if seeking to kick out real contribution, or trim the fat of curtail riders. what this means for an employee though, is you are essentially bidding on the company you work for, no more cashing it in at jobs you don't believe in. you aren't doing a job, you are investing in the companies future and your own. if you want a loyal employer that means being a loyal employee. what that would do for you as an employee though, is to place you in a position of actual value, and in the interest of the company, they would want to keep you there based on your contributions. this will trim the fat of the economy, getting rid of these fad riding half assed brands that don't care to value their customers.
we have all heard about voting with your money, and not supporting brands you don't believe in, but it's time we as a mass realize we also vote with our time for the companies we choose to work for.