Re: Working Wages

[Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- AXIONET -dot- COM>]

Daniel Wise <danwise -at- MINDSPRING -dot- COM> wrote:

>Bruce Byfield commented in the digest for 27-28 June that wages of $10 an
>hour might be reasonable in some instances (simplistic summary statement).
>I'll have to think about that for a while.

Maybe I should expand on that.

When I was first starting out, I took a couple of jobs at a much lower
rate
than I would accept now because I needed some experience on my resume. I
held the position that I was getting paid in experience as well as
money.
And, as things turned out, I was quite right, because I was able to use
these low-paying pieces of work to jump-start my career.

However, I should stress that these were contracts. It would be quite
another
thing to accept a low wage for full-time work.

>I agree with Bruce that we need to campaign to keep rates up.

One real concern is that people who work for sub-standard wages often do
sub-standard work. One result locally is that the contract market has
rather soured for newcomers and contractors because of such writers.

>We should be careful, though, about broadcasting the names of low-paying
>employers. There are serious legal ramifications involved in blackening a >person/firm's good name.  We have discussed this issue on the list in the past >if I remember rightly.  The archives probably are rich with information on the
>subject.

A good point. I should probably stress that I am writing from Canada,
where
the defence that you are telling the truth is usually enough to prevent
you
from malicious court cases. In many parts of the USA, things are
different.

However, it's also morally important to be sure of your facts before
spreading
stories, too. Having recently been the victim of exaggeration and
distortion
myself, I wouldn't wish the same problem on anyone else.

--
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
Co-ordinator ,Vancouver Technical Communicators' Co-op List
Vancouver, BC, Canada
(604) 421-7189 or 687-2133
bbyfield -at- axionet,com or bruce -at- dataphile-ca -dot- com
www.outlawcommunications.com

"Unjust and spiteful criticism taught me more than a quiet acceptance
would have done, and for that, I thank those blundering judges who were
responsible for my education. The motivations behind their judgments
enlightened me and allowed me to enjoy a clear conscience. A sincere
mind turns everything to its advantage, and that which would discourage
mere vanity redoubles the fervor of real commitment."
-George Sand