Hey, I didn't say we don't ~want~ better rates. I didn't even say we don't
deserve them (though I might if pressed. I don't use the word "deserve"
casually). I said only that we don't need them - and added that I was speaking
strictly for myself :).
When I was an employee I'd been at the same company for 14 years. Inevitably I
was underpaid, and I say that not as an indictment of my employer, it's just
what happens when you stay at the same place that long. I've been contracting
since then and the money is much better out here. Like a convenience store,
the buyers have to pay more for convenience - in the case of computer
contracting, that would be the ability to send me home for any reason or no
reason ("we decided not to do that project after all"). But they have to pay
extra cash for it. Even after paying my own travel expenses, and even counting
the often-long periods between gigs, I was still better off financially when I
started contracting.
$45/hr? If you're talking about COBOL developers, hasn't the price risen on
them in the last ten years, due to increasing scarcity and no decrease in the
need? I'm not in that market any longer (I do RACF/ACF2/TSS), but it seems to
me I've been seeing $50/hr and up for them.
---
Bob Bridges, [email protected], cell 336 382-7313
/* I have a page bookmarked somewhere — but I can't find it just at the moment
— in which a guy fills the screen with details about his [World of Warcraft]
characters, what level they are, what they're doing, where they're doing it,
what they plan to do next, and ending "And now you know how I feel when you
talk about sports." -Dorothy J. Heydt */
-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> On Behalf Of
Doug Fuerst
Sent: Saturday, December 2, 2023 18:36
Let me get this right: Companies will pay their lawyers $750 an hour and up,
but the people that write the code to keep their businesses running, that do
the support work to keep those businesses running, us they want to pay $45 an
hour for, and give us a list of skills they want a mile long.
I said this facetiously originally, but what I just said is unfortunately the
truth. You all took it seriously, so there it is. Seriously.
Lately, the numbers are back to pre-Covid. Thankfully, I don't have much time
left in this business. By that time, ChatGPT will be fixing it all. I'll be on
the golf course. So far, ChatGPT can't swing a golf club.
------ Original Message ------
>From "Bob Bridges" <[email protected]>
Date 12/2/2023 16:51:46
>Again, I'm speaking only for myself, but I definitely think we DON'T "need"
>better terms. I have a great job that pays me more money than I spend for
>doing what I wanted to do anyway.
>
>(Not that I'd insist on giving back some of it if folks insist on
>offering more. But I don't want to ride the edge of client resentment.
>If they're gritting their teeth and thinking "Boy, he'd better be worth
>it!" the day I come aboard, I'm already behind. Better they should
>feel superior at having gotten me for less than they were willing to
>pay.)
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> On
>Behalf Of Doug Fuerst
>Sent: Saturday, December 2, 2023 16:37
>
>We need a better union. Maybe Fran Drescher is available. Actors have better
>terms. Former Nanny's apparently can get them.
>
>We need better terms.
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