Realistically, my husband has been underpaid for his job since he started. He doesn't have a degree, though, so the college won't pay him as much as the other people, even though he does the jobs of 3 men. When his boss (who is in the reserves) got called away to stand post in Guantanamo Bay last December, Nick got all of his duties, plus his own. Last summer, a guy was fired, and rather than hire someone in, they shifted his work to Nick. In an office where the other technicians are making 45k to start, and going up from there, we are making 30k, after 3 small 3% raises.

He's a tech, he does code for mediated classrooms, so that a professor can stand in 1 spot, and from a single touch screen, he can control everything in the room. My husband first builds the rooms, putting in the high tech eq (each room costs around 12k to upgrade), then after it's all in, he has to wire the entire room, and then after that, he has to do the coding to make it all work.

3 years ago, 3 different people would come in to do specific parts.

His boss saved the college 60k by going to Guantanamo Bay, because even though they are required by law to hold a position for him for a year, they don't have to pay him.

The guy who was fired saved the campus about 50k, give or take, depending on his over time.

Still, Nick was only making his normal standard amount. Now, the amount works for us, don't get me wrong, because we do get by. It's tight at times, sure, and we pretty much live pay check to pay check, but still, it could be ALOT worse.

Back in early January, his higher up boss (his boss's boss, basically) asked him what he was making per hour, and told Nick "We'll have to do something about that". That was the last we heard until March, when it was brought up again.

In March, they had problems getting it approved, and it looked like we -might- get a whole $.25 raise/hour. Not great, but hey, it's a quarter more than before, right?

Around the end of March, rumors started circulating that the raise would be retro active from when it was first subbmitted to the Human Resources dept. We figured, great, and extra hundred or two on a paycheck!

In early April, we found out that he had to qualify for it, by quantifying his job. 2 other people got raises, and had to do the same. Nick's job description filled 1 whole page, front and back. The other two got in 2 paragraphs.

Word came again last week that we were finally approved for it. Yay! Then, we got further word that he's getting a 9% raise, which came out just over a $1/hour. Yay!

Now, down side is that when his boss does come back, we forfeit the raise, since it's technically payment for a job he shouldn't be doing. Further down side is that whether his boss is back by June 30th or not, we have to go through the whole thing again, and reapply for it. As of the last time we heard word from his boss, he was going to be in Guantanamo Bay until December of this year, and then they are looking at shipping his squad over to relieve people in Iraq. He's looking at another full year, or longer, of being away.

So, today we got our normal paycheck, including the raise, PLUS all the retroactive for 3 and a half months. Our normal paycheck covers a 2 week period, and we get (after taxes) around $860. Today's check was $1,350. I'm muay excited!

Yay!


Ok, yeah, that must have been a boring read for you guys, but I'm excited, none the less. Thank you for bearing with my novel about the pay raise, for those who are still reading.

I could have just said, hey, we got a raise! That would have done it, but no, I'm in motormouth mode.

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Congratulations! Enjoy it, it definitely sounds as if it is well deserved! And I wasn't bored in the least reading your post.

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-grins- I plan to have fun with it

This weekend is the Maple Syrup Festival in a town south of us, and just about every other house has a yard sale, friday and saturday.

-grins-

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I understand your frustration...most people don't feel they are being paid what they deserve. Considering I am spending a fortune to finish getting a degree, to be a teacher who will make roughly $25,000 a year, I can empathize. I have just learned that because your job is important or just because you excell at it does not mean you will be compensated for your expertise. Firemen and cops are prime examples of that.

Congrats on having a bit more wiggle room in your budget!

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I'll add my "CONGRATS" as well, Gilly. Lilith is right, it doesn't make sense we give teachers $25,000 a year and multi-millions to ball players.

Oh well, who said humanity was smart?

Seriously, I'm really happy for the raise and hope it's only the first of many!

I'm really happy for you and your hubby. Sounds like he more than deserved it!

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wooooooooooooooo hooooooooooooooooooooooo i so luv them payraises congrats !!!!!!!!!!!!

nnikki

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I loved reading your excitement Gilly! Congratulations to your hubby and you for being able to take a long deserved breather and enjoy the fruits of his labor and your long time frugality (word?...is now!). Have fun hun...and buy yourself something frivolous and frilly to show hubby how much you appreciate the hard work he has done!

(((((Gilly))))))

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Congrats Gilly, I'm glad things are going your way. Believe me I know that tune with pay and getting your due.

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Thank you everyone. And here I thought ya'll'd be bored to tears.


Lilith, is Ya'll'd actually a word?

I have to agree- in a country where we pay our entertainment millions of dollars a year each, you'd think we could do the same for our educators.

I think one of the first things I'd do if I hit it big in the lotto, is to donate a LOT back to the schools in our community, and in poor communities.

Why shouldn't the people who educate us make more? I see no reason at all for it.

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CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Sounds well deserved and way over due!

Congrats, it's great to see someone obviously technically adept being recognized in that way, and great to see you guys get (hopefully) a bit better quality of life

dicksbro brought up an interesting point, and it reminded me of something I read in a Jello Biafra interview, in which he outlined the policies he has touted whenever he has run for any political position, one of which is the enacting of a maximum wage. I don't mean to derail the thread, but I thought it was an interesting thought to provoke among the pixies here

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You know, it would be great to be able to place a school taxation on all revenues generated from entertainment venues. Like when a basketball star is paid 3 million for a 2 year contract, a % of like 25% is "donated" tax free to schools in that state.

That right there would bring a lot more money back to the education system.

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It is an interesting thought, Belial, in particular as it relates to the salaries of executives from major corporations. I know the company I worked for (and retired from) is in negotiations with a union for a new contract. The union's been weakened and will probably lose ... but, as I understand it, the contract proposal on the table will insure there will be no raises in the next six years for union personnel just as there has been none for the last six. It's been almost that bad for company personnel at the mid-management and lower levels (that included me). At a time of record profits!!!

Funny, though, those wage restraints don't affect the increases accorded to the top officers fo the company. They seem to be making out like bandits!