When I arrived at work today, I was greeted with this posting.
While I'm sitting here trying to figure out how I'm going to juggle the bills, and pay for the kids going back to school I realized I am part of the declining middle class.
I am a Journeyman Tool Maker. This career used to be considered a top manufacturing position. To be able to claim this position I was required to have an associate degree and complete 6 years of on the job training with quarterly performance reviews. I earn a competitive wage for this area.
Sadly this career path is on the decline do to outsourcing and disposable tooling. I have looked for other work in the area and if I was to leave and start at a different company I would lose my house. Most starting positions are close to a $13 an hour or more pay cut.
With such low starting wages in the area, I have felt trapped. Unable to afford a career change and unable to afford more schooling for myself or my wife. Due to not qualifying for assistance because we make to much. That's a odd thing to think about. My wife and I work very hard for what we have and we are unable to afford more schooling. But if we weren't married she would be able to get assistance for schooling. How is this fair for the middle class?
Earlier this year in Indiana, Carrier announced plans to eliminate 1,400 low- to midgrade manufacturing jobs during the next three years and move its production facility to Mexico.
You might recall seeing this video on YouTube
The Mexican workers replacing Carrier employees will earn a base wage of $3 an hour, which is $23 less than some of the top-paid employees in Indianapolis.
Last year, Carrier produced a significant chunk of total profits for its parent company, United Technologies. Of $7.6 billion in earnings in 2015, $2.9 billion came from the Climate, Controls & Security division, where Carrier resides. Profits from this division have expanded steadily in recent years, which is not what you’d expect from a unit desperate to cut labor costs. United Technologies in 2014 also accepted a $5.1 million taxpayer-funded federal tax credit.
Now I'm not saying that the company I work for is going to close its doors, but it could very easily happen with the new plants in China and India How can we compete with the wages they are willing to accept? What can the middle class do to stand up and stop the corporate greed that's running rampant? With new laws like Right To Work limiting the power of unions, how do we fight back without first losing everything first?