I’ve worked in the media sector since 1984 as a technician, in editorial and as a sales representative. You could say, within this discipline, I am well-rounded. I’ve been paid a wage, a salary and a commission; not all at the same time, of course, but my work was governed by different pay structures at different times, all dependent on what the work entailed. I even held down three different part-time media-type jobs at the same time. I’ve enjoyed immensely practically every minute of my involvement in this sector. And, I would not trade this experience for the world.
So, when I see what’s going on in the wide world of media today, you know I’m paying close attention; you know, what with the strikes and all.
Though I hear what the picketers are saying, me? I can kinda sorta relate. What I do understand is that the workers want better working conditions, representative pay reflective of the jobs they’re doing, provided deserved benefits as well as to be treated both with respect and fairly. I mean, how is that not a reasonable request?
At the time that I simultaneously worked those three different media-based part-time jobs, one of those was as equipment operator in a projection booth. Since there were two of us working at the same time on most occasions, sometimes we did work independently when the situation dictated.
I don’t remember how the matter came up in conversation one evening, but the two of us were talking pay. We were both earning a wage but, my coworker at the time was earning more than I. For the same work? Yes.
So, I went to have a chat with the supervisor to try to learn why the disparity and to see if I could get a raise. The latter condition was dependent, of course, on what the supervisor had to say.
It was explained to me that when I hired on, which, as it turns out, was I would say, a couple of weeks prior to when my coworker was, the pay I was earning was what I asked for. So, that’s how that came about. Then the sup. went on to explain that my coworker, when in the identical situation, requested the pay that he was getting. The pay was supposed to be reflective of what the employee was worth and in working in the projection booth, it’s not like there was the opportunity for either one of us to sluff off. Everything has to go like clockwork or none of it is able to come off without a hitch, so to speak.
And, all else being equal, my feeling was that for us both doing the same type of work we both should have received equal pay. And, since I reasoned that the sup. was not going to lower my coworker’s pay to match mine which I would never even consider, I felt justified in asking for equal pay. So, I did.
And, once I had done this, I was summarily, but politely, shown the door.
My thinking is that someone else was hired to take my place and that whatever pay they requested — provided it wasn’t an unreasonable request — then they got what they asked for, unlike myself in that one instance.
I’ve heard about this type of outcome happening before and I can definitely relate. Is it fair? No. It, though, is what it is, fair or unfair as it may be.
There are also pay disparities, as you well know, between genders. I believe that it’s called gender inequality.
So, like I alluded to earlier, I can somewhat relate to why the strikers are demanding what they are.
Now, as for me, if it were me that was in the supervisory role and knew that the pay rate was different for the at-the-time two employees working the same job, I would have seen to it immediately that both employees were compensated uniformly and fairly. It would be automatic and absolute.
But, that’s just me.