Opinions anyone?

[AKLGT]

well, as most everyone knows, the last couple months i've been a bit stressed out at work. it's very demanding and time consuming juggling all my responsibilities. it's gotten worse since the other seasoned sales person left in May. for those of you who don't know what i do, i'm a sales and marketing exec for a medium sized local business here in anchorage. originally, my main job was outside sales and marketing, generating new business for the company. i set up merchants with credit card processing, equipment to do so, check collections and services, electronic check conversion, and accounts receivable collections. it's a bit complicated from this point out however, since over the last 3.5 yrs, my job has changed to the all around do everything. i used to just sell and sell and now i spend half a day working on existing merchants, client retention, customer service, technical support issues, etc. whenever there's something a technician, other salesperson, customer service or otherwise doesn't want to handle or doesn't know how, it gets set on my desk. i work up proposals and meticulously pick apart merchant statements to give them the most accurate line by line cost analysis or comparison possible, labor hours over what kind of equipment or system should be in place, or simply holding their hands for new merchants. anything unpleasant or difficult, paperwork, or problematic clients who want to drop us come into play, i'm the one that has to handle it.so i get beat up a lot by customers and by my fellow employees/ employers over my production, keeping current clients, number of prospect calls, etc every day. even my bosses throw things on my desk when it gets too technical to deal with it. so, i spend half a day dealing with everyone else's problems and customers, trying to market and sell new ones at the same time. now, i'm not a morning person... never have been and i doubt i ever will be. so it's a real struggle for me in the mornings to get to where i need to go. for the first year, i was not the best employee and constantly pushed the line when it came to getting on time to work. always right on the dot but sometimes about a minute late. but i usually work thru my lunch hour, stay about 30 mins to an hour late each night and work on the weekends or holidays when necessary. in fact, phil made me turn my cell phone off on monday because i kept getting call after call from clients! i work my (removed) off for them, and i am more loyal and committed than most employees put together. i make decent money, but i know i could make more elsewhere. i stay because i love what i do and i love the company. but lately, going thru all these crazy surgeries, dealing with new people due to other salespeople leaving, constantly having to stop and do other people's work, and some other personal issue i can't really say, i'm stressing out. maybe too much. i've always been stressed, but this is so much more. and i feel like i'm constantly being second guessed or berated, especially because i missed 3 wks to recover from my surgeries. school started on tuesday and i forgot. the traffic is much slower and this morning i had a later start than usual. so i was 2 minutes late. i get called into the boss's office (like i knew i would most likely) and my boss says, "this isn't working." and i say what do you mean? you going to fire me? and he says, " well, you told me yesterday that you are 100% back but then you are late and not even ready to work yet. that's like a big finger to me." throwing the times i was late when i started 3 yrs ago back in my face. i haven't been late in like a year. he continues to tell me i'm a minimalist. i'm like (removed)? ok, maybe i do cut it a little close in the mornings, but i'm NOT a #@%!ing minimalist!!! if i was a minimalist, i would come in 5 til 8 am, take my hour lunch, not deal with anyone else's problems, not CARE about the company or it's well being, leave at 5pm on the dot, and NEVER take any phone calls or service calls on the weekend and especially on vacation to CANADA! but hey, i'm a minimalist, right? so now i'm pretty pissed. i tell him, i don't see that i'm not committed. i'm more committed than the entire collection floor except maybe 2 employees over there! of course i want to work here, if i didn't i'd be working somewhere else. but i'm getting frustrated with having this constant negativism shoved in my face, little smart (removed) comments "glad you showed up to work today" and such. i can't go or do anything without someone somewhere recognizing me and saying, oh hey, can you look at my terminal? it's acting funny or do you know what happened w/ such and such acct i sent over last month? so i'm really torn on what to do. should i look for another job? and if i do, what? i can't do the same thing because i have a non-compete for 3 yrs. plus, the big boss told me that he will be on america's most wanted and hunt me down to bring me back! maybe i'm too hormonal from all this stress? just not sure.... i don't really want to look or even consider the idea of leaving, but then i can't stay stressed out and constantly frustrated. maybe i've burnt out and need to do something different. sorry this is so long, but i felt i needed to explain the situation as best i could to give an accurate picture. anyone's thoughts?

[Houston]

I'm sorry you're having this problem. I was never a morning person, either, but if your job requires getting up in the wee hours of the morning then that's what you have to do. Set your alarm to go off five minutes earlier and your problem is solved. If you don't like your job, however, look elsewhere. Odds are, though, that you will still be required to get up early.You indicate you can make more elsewhere. Maybe that's the way to go.I wish you the best with this.

[joatmon]

that's rough. If your boss is really A. retentive about when you show up enough to hassle you over being a couple minutes late, then you probably need to put in the extra effort to make sure you get there on time. My newest boss is like that, cares more about exactly what time I am in the office and not at all about whether I am being productive or just killing time on some internet forum. Sounds like you have had to pick up the slack for people that have left but haven't been replaced, and if this is something that you have just taken on yourself to do but not something that the boss has told you to do, then stop doing it. Just tell people that you are really sorry, but you just don't have time to do that and get your own work done too.Is the boss that hassles you is between you and "the big boss" who values you so much that if you quit he would drop everything to find you and bring you back? Hard to know what the office politics are, maybe it's inappropriate to addresss your concerns directly to the big boss, maybe it's in your best interest to do so, I don't know.

[AKLGT]

ya, this has been kind of an on going battle with the one boss. his fave little buddy left in May, so i've had to deal with the brunt of it all. and since i'm the only one who's been around since we started this whole thing, i am the senior sales rep. we've gone through probably a dozen sales people since i've been here and each time i get all their crap put on my desk, fix whatever issues they had, or try to take care of their customers on top of all of mine. and this morning, had an angry prospect call and let him have it because she said i lied to her and mislead her. so that's never a good thing when the boss already wants to boot you out the door. and the circumstances surrounding it are so ridiculous, the lady just flipped out on me! and she assured me several times she has no sense of humor, so therefore i was not funny, joking or not. so i get called into his office again and get berated for trying to make someone laugh! i can't even do that now! and the ironic thing, is he's always telling me to do something that will make them laugh to help set them at ease, or to do something different that peopel wouldn't think a salesperson to do! in fact, most of my clients actually like me because i "make them laugh" so they like to talk to me. but that doesn't matter, because i'm a minimalist employee... and i get into the office about 10 til 8 am generally, but had a late start this morning. but getting in 10 mins early is not good enough. they want me here at 7:30 am and work til 5:30 pm, work thru lunch, and handle any inbound tech calls (not my job) on weekends so that we don't lose clients. not only that, i'm commission based employee. i have to hit a certain quota however to hit my commission. our inside sales people who call and set appts for me as well as whatever i set myself, now also go out and meet/sign clients. they get paid an hourly wage plus get a bonus for ANY sale they make. what happens then, is that they no longer set appts for me unless they are too complicated or will take too long (in their eyes) so that i will spend MY TIME on those while they take the easy ones and get paid regardless of performance. and one newbie in particular has taken a few of my pending sales, set an appt for herself, goes (after i've already met w/ them, worked up proposals and pwk) to meet them, and signs them w/ MY rates and pwk. so it takes more and more sales from my quota so it's that much harder to hit commission on top of the other client services/retention projects i have to do. this is a big part of why i'm so stressed out. if i don't do it, then it just doesn't get done. and we lose clients and then i'm the one that gets reprimanded as to why i wasn't on top of the client and taking care of them... oh btw, you still have to sell 15 NEW clients, save the 4 old ones from dropping us, work on proposals for everyone else so they can sell more, do the pwk to add an additional location for this merchant who wants to add a point of sale system via internet and pc.... on and on it goes. that's just my stress level at work. i'm not mentioning the whole, dinky paycheck from having to take a full week unpaid time off for surgery, medical bills piling up the ying yang, impending financial doom, dealing w/ immigration, etc. my poor little brain is tapped out and my energy level is completely gone. i need less stress... or i will end up with another break down. that's what i'm most concerned about. and even if i could find a job that paid just my base salary, not stressful, and i didn't have to get constant bombardments of call after call on weekends, then it may just be worth it... for my mental health's sake! but again... i love my job and what i do. it's not easy. it's a challenge. i like that part of it, but unfortunately, that's the part that's stressing me out so much. that's why so many people burn out in outside sales and marketing. it's high stress. maybe i'm at the end of my time and need to find something that i can just go home and not bring my work with me.

[Mavrik]

Its time for a new job sweety, its not fair you get crap for not having your work done when you don't have time to do your work because your doing theirs instead. They don't seem happy with you even though your doing your best, and your boss better just go after the other boss and all the rest who give you crap because they all are the reason, not you for wanting to leave.

[russ257]

i would decide if i was ready for a new job or not and then set forth and ultimatium. You just have to be willing to walk the walk if you tlk the talk. You could also have a lawyer look into how iron clad the non compete clause is

[vibemoon]

It sounds like you are in the same boat as me. I am constantly being bombarded with other peoples' work and have very little time to get my own done. The problem is the same. If I don't do it, no one else will. I am trying to take some of the new people under my wing, so to speak, and train them to take over my extra work. It is almost like a mini-team that is loyal only to the company as a whole and me. I also love my job and it would take a lot to go anywhere else. I have gone to the big boss on several issues and every time he took the time to listen and actually took action in a couple cases. I guess I am lucky to have a Account Manager who knows what is going on and is willing to listen to anyone who has a suggestion. My advice would be to talk to the big boss. Start off with how much you like working for the company and how hard you work. Present the extra work not as someone being lazy or incompentent, but simply as an increase in the amount of work. If he has half a brain he will be able to read between the lines. If he truly values you, he will investigate on his own and possibly take action. If not, then you have your answer as to whether it is worth your sanity to stay.My last job was great. I was good at it and loved most of the people I worked with. However, the big boss had no idea what really went on and would not stand behind his people. I was also taking my work home because there were not enough hours in the day to get it done. When you start to take it home, it interferes with other things. That is why I left. Life is work, but work does not have to be your life. I know it is scary to go out and look for a new job and there is always the risk of not liking it. In the long run though, change is good. If your job is driving you that insane, you have to ask yourself if it is worth it. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck.

[drunkenmaxx]

i hate to be an (removed), but maybe that vacation wasn't such a good idea?

[AKLGT]

again, my vacation time was set in stone. i could not alter or change that for many other reasons. the prob w/ the one boss in particular has been on going since i started working there 3.5 yrs ago. and i have sat down w/ all of my bosses several times to discuss many of these issues. some things have been done, while others have not. and the conclusion for having to do everyone else's job, dealing with problem clients, paperwork and doing my own sales.... well, as i was told, i'm the best at it, so i have to do it. no one else knows how or what to do, so i get it put on me. i take responsibility in my job w/ everything. and maybe that's the problem. i take ALL the responsibility for my job and everyone elses. the issue is not about money, but about stress level. i cannot go anywhere without being interrupted. i get calls at 2am in the morning from a bar that doesn't know what "lost comm" means and i have to help them. if it's a holiday and someone calls because their echeck terminal won't work, who goes to fix it? i do. yes, that was last 4th of july... spent 2 hrs at a clients fixing their problem for a client that wasn't mine. not too bad for a minimalist employee. my entire family and friends who know me well have wanted me to change jobs for over a year. they feel i'm taken advantage of by my bosses, micro managed and constantly trying to prove myself for past mistakes, especially to the one boss in particular. and to have this "pattern" thrown back in my face when it's been over a year since i was even late the last time.... or called back into the office and reprimanded for doing my job and doing it the way he has pounded into me since i've been there! i get there usually 15 mins til, but that's not good enough. jacob used to get there at 7am, and jacob did this or that.... well, i refuse to be him and i certainly won't get on my knees to blow him like he did. and jacob's not there anymore for the second time! i've been there the entire time dealing w/ the pieces of every left salesperson... the whole dozen or so, cleaning up their messes and handling it for "the company." when my boss started yelling at me yesterday and bringing up things from 2 yrs ago, then tell me that i only do the minimum work required in my job, i realized that i'm tired of constantly trying to prove myself to him or dealing with all the crap associated w/ my "senior executive" status. i can't just be one of the drones. i was already told that 2 months ago before this all started. and if you've ever been close to the edge, overwhelmed from stress and life, gone through the blackness known as depression, considered suicidal, and then placed under doctor supervision w/ all kinds of anti-depressant drugs to make you "unfeeling" so you can "deal" with it, then you will understand why I DO NOT want to go back there. my close friends have told me that they can't remember the last conversation where my job or some client or client issue wasn't brought up. either because i'm stressed out about something (as usual) or i get an incoming client call because they have problems.with the high stress i've been facing over the last 6 months, it's finally catching up to me. i've felt it for a long time, just denied it. the entire time i was in the hospital, i didn't get a check in call, no card, no flowers, nothing. i've been w/ them for almost 4 yrs and not one single call or card to make sure i was ok. when i got out of the hospital i had 10 voicemails on my phone... 7 from clients, but not one from any of my bosses wishing me good health.

[vibemoon]

Sounds like it is time to go. Going insane is not worth it. Stress can kill you if it goes too far. Don't let your work ruin your life. I know this is easy to say and very hard to do. The longer you wait the worse it will get. Sometimes a pay cut or a field change can be worth the peace of mind. It was for me. Best of luck to do. We are here if you need to talk.

[drunkenmaxx]

always remember, worry does nothing to help, it only makes things worse. suicide is never an option, it is a selfish remedy. sometimes when $hit happens in life, you have to grab a shovel and strap on your boots. good luck with your situation and try to relax.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by Salsa! »And if he is not greatful for the work you do there, stop working over your lunch hour, don't take calls at night, take your daily breaks.... if the ionly thing that seems to bother him is the fact that you are late in the morning, then don't be but don't give anything extra.I sorta understand the way he sees it....if you are constantly late, people will notice and start to talk, and they might even say: "hey I'll be late also, she's always late". Then it has a snowball effect.... Always remember that people will notice you coming in late, leaving early...but they will never see you working over your lunch hour.... working extra time at night.....this is very true. but here's the thing: i haven't been late in over a year. these are things that happened from 2 yrs ago that i still get beat up for. we all make mistakes. how much apologizing and proving myself to him do i have to do? 2 yrs from now i might be late and i'll still be told it's a "pattern" and that i'm still not giving enough.so if he thinks i'm a minimalist employee, then so be it. they tell me to be selfish with my time and my experience and knowledge. ok, then.... they can learn it the hard way just like i did. good luck since we have til april 05 to be fully compliant w/ all the new visa/mc regulations. oh ya, hope, we need you to head that up while you're at it, on your free time because we need you selling and handling everything else during the day. you can see where i haven't posted much since getting reprimanded at work for being online too much. my stress reliever during the day. only in the morns and eves, and a little at lunch, when i get a lunch. yes, i get interrupted there too. but i'm not allowed to turn off my cell phone during lunch because a prospect or client may call and i'm told i HAVE to take it.

[kostby]

There are things you CAN control and things you CANNOT control.You CANNOT control the wind, rain, snow, sun, moon, stars, or the passage of time.You CANNOT control the negative acts, words, or thoughts of inconsiderate people who do not appreciate you for who you are and what you do.You CAN find a better, healthier work environment where you are appreciated, acknowledged, and compensated for who you are and what you CAN do, instead of being berated and belittled for what you are not and what you CANNOT do.Work environments change in character and become 'healthier' or 'sicker' as managers and employees come and go over time.What once was ideal has now become quite unhealthy for you. IMHO it's time for you to find a new, healthy work environment. Your sales and tech support talents should apply across many related fields - computers, phones, internet, business accounting systems, A/R, collections. Just look at Monster.com!(I'm praying for you too.)

[AKLGT]

yes most of this i agree with.unfortunately, some vacations ARE set in stone and this was one of them. i do not get overtime because i'm salaried plus commission. i would not necessarily say i'm the top employee. just the most seasoned currently with the most knowledgeand they will be able to train someone else or learn new skills others have refused to do in the past. they can go on without me i know.

[drunkenmaxx]

Quote, originally posted by desert_dweller »It sounds to me that you have pushed your luck with this job and they are triing to force you out of it.that is exactly what they are doing. if you quit, they dont have to pay unemployment

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by desert_dweller »I have never worked commisioned sales so I do not know how the Salary plus commision works. It sounds to me that you have pushed your luck with this job and they are triing to force you out of it.well the sad thing is that 2 of my other bosses tell me that i can't quit ever. they need me, blah blah blah. it's just the one and he's my immediate boss. i can't keep going over his head because that will only cause more probs. when i come home from work, i beat on my punching bag for 20 minutes usually from all the stress. usually before anyone gets home so they can't hear the string of profanities flying out of my mouth. i shouldn't have to do that. why should i be working at a job that i have to go home and pummel things to relieve the stress and tension? and since i couldn't do that while i was on bed rest obviously, i just had to lay there and take it. but it's 8 am and this minimalist employee must work now. so talk to you all later.

[ZubenElGenubi]

Regarding your salary position...seems to me you may have been taking a salary cut as you are doing less sales and more support. Is that a correct assumption? If so, you may need to re-visit your compensation arrangement. I'm suggesting that you propose a shift from salary+commission to non-exempt. Put it in writing.Secondly, it does appear that there is an effort to force you to leave, under which circumstances you would not be entitled to unemployment compensation. In that case, you have to decide whether you can resist this pressure without adversely affecting your health (which, apparently, it already has).Thirdly, I wouldn't sweat the non-compete argument. They are very hard to enforce and few companies engage them. Significant losses have to be proven in court and most fail. You would have to work for a known competitor and would have to pull clients away and this linkage would have to be proven.

[AKLGT]

yes, i was looking at my pay stubs so far for the year. total commission made thus far is $950. last year almost $8500 at this time.but i have some feelers out already. hells fargo is looking for 5 business banker trainees for alaska and w/ my experience in banking and the credit/finance world, i should be a good candidate. that will get me about $40K starting w/ potential up to $55K (if i relocate to some remote location... no thanks). as for the non-compete, i am in direct sales and marketing. if i take a client for the same thing i'm doing now (merchant processing, e-checks, collections, check services) from my current employer, i can guaranty that my boss will be coming after me legally. and even though it may get thrown out, i'd have to deal w/ the stress of legal action and lawyers! again... too much stress. i have yet to talk to the big boss, but i don't want to because he'll talk me out of it. it's not really about money now, but about stress and constantly having to prove myself over and over again to a boss that doesn't seem to want me here. he's been gunning for me to leave (i think) for the last 2 yrs. now i've got greg (the boss who seems to want me gone) going out on my appointments with me because he doesn't think i can handle them or something or doing it wrong. probably because of what happened yesterday. so now i'm being completely micro-managed on my appts in addition to the lame sheets i have to fill out of when, where, what, why, and how list of calls i make. plus input that in the computer! anyways, will work on my resume this weekend and get it out on monday. i anticipate i'll have something in the works by the end of the month... especially in the finance/credit world. they are always trying to find experienced people.

[cohocarl]

Life is short. Very short. I left a job I absolutely hated after I had 10 years in. It was a very difficult decision to make, but I left a very high pressure, stressful, although secure job for a 90 day temporary position at an automotive parts plant with no benefits, or guarantee I would have a job after the 90 days. I was VERY lucky to be hired in permanent, but I'm also kind of mad I pissed away 10 years of my life in a job I hated before I made a move. I had looked for other employment for a couple years, but there isn't much around here. Everyone's situation is different, but maybe you could keep an eye out for other possibilities of employment out there......

[AKLGT]

well, i'll give you all an update on what transpired hence my leave of absence and my pending permanant good bye.after a good 2 weeks of the initial meeting with the big boss, they called me into the conference room to make a final decision: leaving or staying. since they were not making any real effort to make changes, i told them i was leaving and we set the date for 11/24. all of a sudden things began to change. we rolled out a new marketing plan, started bringing in more people to help, etc. i began moving things off my desk and slapping it back onto the salesperson's telling them to figure it out and learn. my attitude changed drastically and i figured i just didnt care anymore, so i'll make the most of it and just do sales. after all that was my job!well, i was rather unsuccessful trying to find anything of interest, there were a couple, but they took way too long to respond. after 2 weeks of job hunting openly, the big boss pulled me aside and asked how it was going. i am very honest so i can't lie. i told him, well, i don't see a whole lot right now. nothing that's calling my name, but hey, i still have a good 5 weeks left. he said, well then if i would reconsider he'd like to discuss it with me and see if we can come to an agreement, a renogiation so to speak. i agreed to hear him out.so the next week we sat down to talk. he offered me a great opportunity. moved me up to management of the credit card department and i would work with Greg (the boss i was having issues with) on sales training, but i would handle any and all training on the merchant services. it was my department to work with and get it running. he gave me a hefty pay increase in addition to my current commission structure and also included a group commission if i can get the entire department to hit 40 sales. he gave me the option of using my vacation time i would get on my anniversary in april to use for my trip in Feb, and if i wanted some more time off later, i could use whatever sick days i have left. the following april, i'll automatically get 3 weeks vacation and 2 weeks sick time. there is a big conference in april down in vegas that i'll be going to as well, all expenses paid of course. i accepted the position, and so far so good. things are drastically changing and now i have more of a say in how things are run. i've started a training program for our new people (we have about 3 new people now) for a total of 8 in my department. i'm doing more and more sales and now drive a good 80% of the time! i have a new work cell phone so i can turn it off in the eves and not be bothered by clients! and then i lowered my plan for my personal cell so it won't cost as much. all in all it seems to have worked itself all out. i still get calls for interviews and what not, some jobs even pretty good. but i made my commitment and gave my word when i accepted the new position. last month, i had the best month i've had in about a year! had a nice commission check to add to my new (effective immediately) position and pay increase! comes just in time for christmas and other large expenses!

[drunkenmaxx]

try telemarketing. i had a buddy who did it when he was in highschool and he afforded his own apartment that way.

[drunkenmaxx]

with telemarketing, all you have to do is sound friendly, yet be persuasive. you get hourly + commission!

[ToolGuy]

Quote, originally posted by desert_dweller »I worked at Home Depot while going to school. It is a great company to work for and they pay really good too.I always said if I lost my job today on the way home I would stop at the Home Depot. Obviously I would weigh unemp against working there but if I had to do what I had to do and possibly work two jobs to get back on my feet, one would be there. I spend enough money there and could walk through my store with my eyes closed! I prefer HD over Lowes anyway!

[BlueCrush]

Hope,Congrats on the new position and pay increase. Sounds like you are finally getting the respect you have worked so hard for and deserve. Too bad it had to take your threat of leaving to get them to take notice. But, sometimes people need a good smack upside the head to knock some sense into them. Good luck!Brian

[Big_Red]

My opinion may be liked or disliked but here it goes.If you are suppose to start at 8 AM....be early enough that you can start at 8 AM...not show up at 8. If you are expected to work overtime, do so and get paid for it, unless your job level no longer permits overtime pay. If you feel that you are no longer being treated fairly and want to go somewhere else; get another job first, then quit this one.

[AKLGT]

if you read my last post i made, i did do just that. except it was another position within the company. i don't have a problem w/ getting to work when i'm supposed to. it just so happened that 4 yrs ago when i started there i did. that has since been rectified 2 yrs ago. that's a non-issue now. i work by far more hours than most, i work my (removed) off... i don't get paid overtime. i'm salary plus commission... so it's all in how i produce. if i'm not producing, i don't get a big check. lol

[AKLGT]

i don't get overtime.SALARY + COMMISSIONmuch much better than COMMISSION only! most people in my line of work, not including the banks, are commission only. it's feast or famine! no thanks!

[kostby]

Quote, originally posted by silverawd26 »Yeah... The market has seemed to change in pay scale from what i was making 2 1/2 years ago to now.... Some job's have come up, but have been like $2.50-$3.00 dollars less an hour than I was making before and they were full time when I was making that starting out part time...The National DO NOT CALL list may have something to do with the decline in telemarketing pay and positions available, too. Indiana and lots of other states also have their own DO NOT CALL lists.Substitute teaching pays pretty well for a 'part time' job (~$50 a day for 6-7 hours around here) IF you like kids and don't mine being in a different environment every day.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by kostby »The National DO NOT CALL list may have something to do with the decline in telemarketing pay and positions available, too. Indiana and lots of other states also have their own DO NOT CALL lists.Substitute teaching pays pretty well for a 'part time' job (~$50 a day for 6-7 hours around here) IF you like kids and don't mine being in a different environment every day.do not call list only applies to consumer telemarketing, not business to business.

[AKLGT]

my first job ever i think was designing and making t-shirts for kids in my class in 2nd grade. remember that puffy paint??? lol. yep, sell them for $10 and cost me maybe $3 then to make them...

[Houston]

$10 per hour? My God, my friends, how long does it take for you to realize what President Bush is doing to this country? I retired as a regular GM hourly employee (and a very proud UAW member) way back in 1996 when some of you were just getting out of diapers and by just sitting here on my (removed) my pension is almost twice that $10 per hour for which you guys grovel. Don't any of you even try to tell me that Bush is on your side. You voted for him to continue, though, so you - and not me - are the ones paying the financial costs of your mistake. Many of you knock union members, but I really think it's because of envy and the fact you can't be among us. Times have changed, my friends, and it's time you looked management in the eye and tell it what's what, just as the UAW and other unions have done. If you're anti-union - and from reading this board for the last couple of years I'd guess 99% of you are - you are your own worst enemy. And don't tell me you've never heard that before. The unionization of the working men and women in this great country improved everything for us workers by a long shot. The only ones who never "got it" were company owners and those who didn't have the guts to join a union. Do any of you see what's coming?I feel for you young folks, I really do, but you, and not me, are the ones who voted for Bush to continue as president. You may come down on me for saying this, but the blame is yours.

[AKLGT]

lol. gloom and doom! well, i am thankful i have a good job, pays fairly well considering i only have a 2 yr degree. i know some of my friends make a lot of money having nothing but 2 terms of college if that. unions serve their purposes, but not all jobs require unions imo. i work in sales, so unless unions can force people to BUY my products or services (and no, guido doesn't count!) then it won't really apply to me. would be nice! but no such luck.

[Houston]

If everyone who does what you do got together - really got together - you'd have power. Lots of it. That power is or is not in your hands. It's up to you.

[AKLGT]

Quote, originally posted by Houston »If everyone who does what you do got together - really got together - you'd have power. Lots of it. That power is or is not in your hands. It's up to you.if all sales people around the world got together, we'd still be fighting over who got the sale! (removed)!

[Houston]

Well, Hope, it takes what it takes. I still remember while I was still there as an hourly employee and the GM salaried employees had the opportunity to vote on becoming members of the UAW. They voted it down. That was unfortunate for them, as it turned out, because now that we are all retired my pension and benefits run circles around theirs. I don't care what you do, if you don't unionize you will be chewed up. I guarantee it. I'm not saying it's easy, because it isn't, but it will be lots tougher for you in the long run if you don't.Good luck.

[Houston]

I'm not coming down on you at all, silverawd26, because I know you're doing the best you can. I guess I'm just saying what needs to be said and your post afforded me the opportunity to do so. I'm sorry if there was a misunderstanding.I hope that when you complete your education you are able to obtain employment that pays lots more than one-half of a decent wage. If it doesn't, follow in the footsteps of Walter Reuther. Do him proud.

[AKLGT]

well the bad thing about sales and commission jobs is that you get paid what you earn. if you want more money, you gotta make more sales. aside from teaming up and strong arming someone, you can't MAKE them buy from you or stay with you after they buy. trust me i wish i could!