I work for a small local hospital with a rather terrible reputation. They brought me on as a technical supervisor for their microbiology lab, which consists of one tiny room run by a woman old enough to be my grandmother. She's made a mess of it and they're on the verge of losing the ability to do micro testing because of her. The only reason I took the position was because they offered me a rate of pay $3.50 an hour higher than I was making at my last job, one I absolutely loved with my whole heart.
I wanted to stay at the job I loved, but they wouldn't match the rate and I am a single mom (fiancé lives in another state for work), so I had to think of what was best for my daughter.
We have a union here at this hospital, which everyone in the lab complains about except one person – the VP. She thinks it's the best thing ever, when it really isn't.
VP was livid when she found out I was brought in outside the union so they could offer me a higher rate of pay to be able to snare me…none of the other candidates were even slightly qualified for the work that needs to be done to fix that lab. (It's a LOT.)
Anyway, to make this already long story short – VP filed a grievance and the hospital, scared of the union, forced me to take a lateral move into a union position. This came with pay dictated by the union and I lost $5 an hour.
I am now making less at a job I don't like than I did at the job I loved and left because I didn't make enough there.
Fuck capitalism.