From: Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Date: Tue Sep 12 2000 - 23:25:11 MDT
Brian D Williams wrote:
> >> Yes, this is an attempt to hold down the price of skilled
> >>workers.
>
> >Worked on me... {8-[
>
> I've been wondering if high tech workers would begin to complain
> about this.
Loud and long. Many ironies present themselves. For instance
at Schlockheed, the average raise across the board has been
about 4%, but the average starting pay for the new guys has
been increasing by about 6% for a long time, consequently there
is salary grade compression: the new guys straight outta school
are being offered starting salaries equal to what I was making
only 5 yrs ago. If the trend continues, then soon the average
new guy will be offered the average salary of a veteran. Problem
is, that isnt enough; they still cant afford to live here on that.
Meanwhile the veterans, who have owned a home for a long time,
(and many own rental property on which they are making a
brutal killing) live quite comfortably.
Furthermore, several years ago Taxifornia passed a wonderful
law called Prop 13, which keeps one's property taxes at no
higher than 2% a year increase over what it was when the house
was purchased, even if the property value goes up 10 or 15%
a year. consequently the property tax bill alone for the new
guys is higher than my mortgage payment, and pity the blighter
who hasta rent. Weirdness results.
So then, is there any logical reason why the new guys cannot
be offered the same as the veterans? Ok, well, how about
*more* than the veterans? Why not? If I quit, then reapply
as a new guy, do I get the average starting salary then, which
would be a raise? What if the company bought up one of the
local tract shack neighborhoods and offered to let the employees
live there. Could I rent my tract shack, then move into one of
the company houses, and pocket the change?
Next is the prestige thing. When I started my career, the average
aerospace engineer earned more than the overall average for
all engineers. Now we earn less than average, and waaay less
than average for engineers with comparable skills in this county.
So, those engineers who were primarily motivated by money have
left the field, and the company knows the ones left like what they
do. But that still makes it hard to recruit new talent, whose
attitude is: eeeww, you are an aaaaaerospace engineer? Pathetic.
You should do something sexy, like bioinformatics or genetic
engineering.
And thats hard to argue with. I would probably do that if I
were just starting right now, altho I have had one hell of a
rewarding career, very fulfilling.
> >Never been there except to fly thru. Hope to visit at least the
> >museum of natural history there. {8-] spike
>
> If you're ever coming to town let me know, I'll show you around...
> Brian
Thanks, Ill take ya up on that if I can. spike
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