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Flat Pay Prompts 1 In 3 In IT To Consider Jump
CWmike writes "Companies have cut salaries and training, held back on bonuses and piled more work on employees in response to the economic downturn. These tactics may well be pushing many IT pros to go job hunting, Computerworld's latest salary poll has found. More than one third (36%) of the 343 respondents to a recent poll said they are looking to move to a new employer in the next six months. And 69% reported they had not received a pay raise in the past six months. The poll was conducted during the last two weeks in September. For employers, the warning could not be more clear. As the economy improves, the most able IT workers may leave for something better."
My guess is that the economy will improve pretty quickly after November elections if Republicans win. Not because they will do anything major but because the businesses will start spending and hiring more once the prospects of more oppressive regulation and higher taxes are diminished. So if you want some easy money, buy stocks now and hope for a Republican win.
Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
This industry already has enough deadweight, corporate welfare queens as it is. It blows my mind that anyone can still suggest this in this day and age. Unions have destroyed every industry they've touched and state union pensions are on the verge of bankrupting every state in the union.
Are you nuts? Honest question.
Please enlighten us how Unions will give you a pay raise? Do you even know WHY workers had to unionize? Let me enlighten you, it wasn't to feed fat cats more fat! If IT persons are getting paid $30k-$80k (if not more) but are unhappy that they have a job that didn't pay them a raise in 6-months (or a bonus, or whatever, I've not seen one in 2 years and this will be a 3rd year I won't see one), then f-'em. Sure they have every right to find another job. Good luck to 'em. But to make as dumb a comment as "Unionize!" you've got to be drinking some unbelievable kool-aid(tm) my friend.
And that's just one aspect of what's wrong with some societies. This notion that you're being mistreated because someone's paying you a middle-class income, benefits, and a safe-work environment (please tell me the last time an IT person was at risk of death, dismemberment, some horrible disease from inhaling coal dust all their working life) is just one clear example of the mentality of entitlement that needs to be brought down hard and with a big hammer.
Oh... and if you haven't been paying attention, Unions are getting the shit kicked out of them by companies in this economy. Just ask Mercury Marine, Harley Davidson and Kohler Co. Those working at Mecrcury Marine almost lost all of their jobs because they wanted more money from a company that sells high-end boats (something that doesn't sell well in a recession or when 'the rich' get their income sucked out of them).
Harley workers quickly accepted a deal to keep their jobs... after all, where else will unskilled labor go to get paid $30+ / hour to work the factory floor? I guess the understand that (again) Luxury items aren't popular in a recession and don't sell well when "rich" people have their taxes and insurance costs go up.
And now it's Kohler Co. turn. (Funny, they're a maker of high-end premium products too!) Their Union (UAW... what a toilet and sink manufacturer is reped. by the UAW I don't know) is pissed that Kohler wants to raise their health insurance premiums from ridiculously low rates to something more represented by the area. And to replace 20% of the work-force with 'part-time' workers that get paid more competitive local rates. Here's a case were you can actually see (again) unskilled, right out of high school labor making $22+ / hour (funny that's what I make with a Bach. deg. and working in the IT field) actually being asked to take a pay cut for new-hires to the "omg how can I live off of rate of" $16/ hour! (hint hint, in the area of Wisconsin that Kohler's located, cost if living is NOT very expensive. It's not Chicago, LA, or NY.)
Please, go try to Unionize. You won't get public support for those who think they deserve more than what they're worth, especially when there's thousands of people ready to take those jobs for much less pay.
Unions... taking advantage of companies in good times (hey, you're making a LOT of profits! We want some!) and in bad (hey, you're not making any profits, but we still want MORE!). Funny, they can't see the forest from the trees.
What, are you kidding me? Half the people I knew growing up lived on farms or ranches and I never saw anything but:
* Parents working from 6a-8pm (or more) every damn day (except for Sunday, in which cases they tried to do nothing but usually got drafted for something).
* Moms who cooked 2-3 full meals, every day.
* Certain parts of the year were full-time jobs - and by that, I mean you get maybe 2-3 hours of sleep between your days, and eat while you're working: branding season, haying season, harvest season. Other parts of the year are full of planning for the next, or waiting for things to grow - but there is always "one more thing" to do (much like, say, IT/sysadmin work).
* Parents who wore tattered rags (comparably) and patched clothes so their children could have hot meals at school.
* The children had 1-2 hours of chores every day, more on summers.
* When the parents retired, the kids took over the farm. Many of these farms have/had multiple houses for multiple generations of family members (as well as hired workers). When they got married or wanted to live on their own, there was 'free' housing available.
This is a way of life, and not a particularly bad one. It is full of leisure time if you care to take it (during certain parts of the year), and nobody is your boss but yourself (and your wife and/or parents, of course). It has a lot of intrinsic value which is not present in most other career choices, allowing for cohesive families, land ownership, and freedom.
You speak as someone who doesn't know and who couldn't care - a modern 'educated' urban bigot.
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