How should I handle denied Raise/Promotion situation.

(I don't exactly know where this topic should go, but this forum seems like the best choice.)

So I have a situation at work. Machine Shop is low on guys, just had a bunch leave to a big company who came into town, I run/set-up a Mazak Horizontal. My main job generally is making sure that it is loaded up on every tombstone for nights and weekends to run. Anything Hard or with tight tolerances is done by me, long run times and easy money is for nights/weekend. (neither shift has the ability to do set ups)

I want to move to weekend shift and become the weekend shift supervisor. We need one, I'd like the responsibility and challenge. Works better with my schedule and I'd like to begin programming classes during the week. Shop Manager is on board with it in theory, goes to talk to owner, comes back a week or so later. Says they can't do it because they cannot lose my horsepower on days, the weekend shift guy is just nowhere near as good as I am now and since we would be trading they need it to be an equal trade. I'm dissapointed but I understand the reasons, sucks that I can't get what I want because I have become too valuable in my current position.

So next weekend or whatever, I'm working with the weekend shift guy and he mentions how much he gets paid, and it's more than me. Normally, I wouldn't let it bother me; I work for what I work for. But they just spent the last week and a half making a direct comparison between the two of us and flat out telling me over and over how much better I am than this guy.

So I bring this to the Manager, tell him it is upseting me. He says he'll talk to the Owner. Couple days later tells me the guy is getting a shift differential and that is why he gets paid more. He gets a 20% differential and also works 3 12's and gets paid for 40 as a second differential. I get a bit frustrated and tell them that I am not happy, and that if we continue on this course without a raise, I am not going to be happy with my current employment. Manager and I both leave frustrated after he tells me "everyone wants more money, but my job is to make these parts for as little as possible and sell them for as much as possible"

That is the paraphrased story. Wanted to run this up the flagpole and see what y'all thought. Am I not doing what I should be? How should I handle this? I haven't dealt with this situation before.

I understand that your a hard worker, but the thing that is going to hold you back is the fact your an Operator...

Most shop owners aren't willing to pay top dollar for guys in your position even though your a key asset to his / her company. Programming is where the money is at (well at least I thought so lol).
I say if your not happy you have two choices 1. Search for new employment 2. Start gramming by whatever means necessary then you can show your boss that you can make him sum Moo-Lah!

You already stated the solution to the problem:

Machine Shop is low on guys, just had a bunch leave to a big company who came into town...

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Apply for a position at new big company. Your co-workers did not bail just because of a few extra bucks. Sounds like there were other issues and this will continue to get worse as more skilled people get snatched up from your shop.

Just tuck your tail between your legs and get back to work and be glad you even have a job.

Luckily, you are in a right to work state, so you have the right to quit you job or the right to work for less money.... you are empowered!

Ok, that was all teasing . I worked at a shop one time and while employed there another local business ran an ad in the paper looking for a guy like me. I went and looked and decided that that place was a shit hole and wasn't going to quit my great gig where I was at to go there.

But, I made sure that word spread back at the shop that I had went job hunting. Shop superintendent comes and runs me down and takes me to his office. Asks if it was true I had went out and interviewed for another job. Yep, I said, and they offered me $10.00 an hour. That was a lie... they only offered $9.00. I was making $9.25 where I was at.

He asks if I was gonna leave. I said I was not sure. He comes back with "Well, we can probably match that ($10.00)", to which I responded "Well, the problem with that is I can make 10$ an hour out there, so if you want me to stay here it will have to be $10.25...." He said he'd have to go talk to the plant manager about that." He come back in about 10 minutes and said "we can do that."

So, I got a raise from just the thought of them losing the valuable employee they thought I was

We are all prostitutes in as much as we are selling what we have to the person that will pay the most for it.

My two bits. John

Keep on working, but start looking for a different job. If you get an offer, think very seriously about leaving. Weigh all the details - pay, hours, daily commute, etc, and then ask yourself is it worth staying where you are if they bump your pay to match, or would you be better off somewhere else?

I feel your frustration...I think we have all been there at some point.

Dont stand in line and take it if you feel you are worth more. Look for a job with more opportunity to grow. At this point in your life, thats really all you need to be looking at. Granted, we are all here to make a living, but money is not the most important thing for you at this point in the game. Get into a shop that will advance you along through-out your career, and the money will follow. Your a smart dude, keep pluggin away and dont let this beat you up. Never settle for less than what you think you deserve

Phil beat me to my response. Definitely time for you to go job shopping.

They are holding you back. The longer you stay stagnant, the harder it is to pull out of that rut. Just don't burn the bridge down behind you.

Whatley said:

he tells me "everyone wants more money, but my job is to make these parts for as little as possible and sell them for as much as possible"

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Get yourself another job lined up, and on your last day tell him he can hop right out there and make the parts himself for as little as possible since you're on your way out the door to start selling your time for as much as possible.

An disingenuous asshole who tells you you're more valuable than the weekend man but then refuses to even raise you to the pay rate of the weekend man doesn't deserve any consideration in the form of a notice, or anything else. Feed him a dose of his own words, and hit the door.

Some shops pay for the degree (or ability) others pay for pieces.

Fess up, go back to running the machines and on the off shift if that is what makes the best pay and is what you choose, go shopping for another job or be content with what you have.

You can't spend "At-A-Boys" or place a value on them, but we often think they should be valuable and so should get extra pay..

They call it work, job security, just having a job, making a needed paycheck but not always fair or fun.

Buck

How long have you been with this company? How are the benefits? What would you be giving up by leaving? It doesn't hurt to look. Prepare your resume and what you come up with.
Also....perhaps you should see the owner in person. Make him tell you face to face why Joe Blow is pulling a bigger check than you. It's easy to say no to a middle man. I am the middle man at my shop and my boss uses me to say no a lot. I don't normally tell the guys to go over me. But the ones who have the balls to do so usually reach some sort of compromise. I wouldn't lay down any ultimatums unless I was really sure of myself. I would suggest you come up with "plan B" in advance.

Brian

Greatbasin said:

We are all prostitutes in as much as we are selling what we have to the person that will pay the most for it.

My two bits. John

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Good one John.

Whatley, this kick in the nuts can be a motivator or de-motivator, your choice.
Hopefully it's a motivator, not that your boss / company is bad, but you do have to look out for yourself.

They played their turn, now it is yours.

Ok, I am a big believer in an "Go To Hell" fund. When I have money in the GTH fund, I am willing to make threats to management, cosequences be damned. Usually followed by a catchy phrase like "I was looking for work when I found this job" or " my tool box is on wheels for a reason; so I can roll it out of that door"

When I am broke, I have to take whatever comes down on me.

So the answer to your question is:
HOW IS YOUR SAVINGS???????????

Sometimes when were not happu, then the only option is to search for something better, sometimes the company were not happy with will change things to improve our level of happiness when we say we're leaving...

Been in your shoes, the usual replay was (mind you I quit punching a clock almost 20 years ago),. "Company policy limits the amount of money we can give for a raise, I will put you in for an extra 75 cents an hour now and then again in every 6 months for 3 years. What I found out is I needed to get another job offer, here is the kicker do you want to stay or go somewhere else for more money? I got a job offer from a previous employer (I hated the place, I just used them). A few days later I turn in my 2 week notice, the job offer paid more but only by $1 an hour. I was asking for $3 an hour more at my current employer, I was deemed better (like the OP) than a guy making $3 an hour more than me. Long story short one week into my two week notice that $3 an hour raise came through. I rinsed and repeated this two more times at that place till I hit the top of the pay scale, on the last one they let me sweat all the way till lunch on the last day.

A friend of mine told me a similar story. The place he works has a guy that is "Mr. Everything", he does the set-ups, some programming, scheduling etc. One day Mr.Everything went to the boss for a raise, he was thinking $1 an hour or so. Boss says nope.....and offered him a 25 cent / hour raise. Mr. Everything looked the boss in the eye and said" if thats all you can afford, then the quarter means alot more to you than it does to me". Mr. Everything went out to the shop, loaded his tool box and left....never to return. My buddy later found out that he went 2 miles down the road to a competitor and got a $2 / hour raise.

Lots of employers get upset when confronted about disparities between employees' wages/benefits.. When I was working for others, I made it a point to never discuss wages/benefits with other employees.

Davis In SC said:

Lots of employers get upset when confronted about disparities between employees' wages/benefits.. When I was working for others, I made it a point to never discuss wages/benefits with other employees.

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When I was playing my get more money game I found back in the day a lot of guys threw their check stubs in the trash on payday. I used to watch guys close on Fridays.

Seems like they gave you both the ammunition and the price point.

Up to you if you want it bad enough to get it.