The Top 1%

Today a friend of mine got a new job.  She didn’t get a promotion, just a new job at the same level she’s been at for the last, oh, 8 years at least. No raise.  No more vacation.  Bonus is the same.

Now, to be sure, she is a VP in her company and is paid well.  But she travels extensively.  She has factories in Asia, Europe and the Americas.  I would estimate that she is gone about 30% of the time.

Her job requires her to work nearly 70 a week minimum; often more than that.  Further, the times of the day that she is working are sporadic; foreign mangers often are not awake in American daylight hours.

The best part?  The was told Friday that she would have to take this new job.  Friday.  And she was told that she would have to move from Seattle to Bismark.  1,200 miles.  This represents the 4th such move, dramatic and required, that she has made in the last 15 years.

She is the 1%.

She deserves it.

4 responses to “The Top 1%

  1. That’s why Occupiers never seem to understand the 53%ers – we make the sacrifices we need to in order to get ahead whereas they seem to prefer that others do it for them.

    Your friend had two choices – either protest and wish a union was there to prevent her from moving, forcing a raise, etc. or making a decision herself as to what’s most important to her. Congrats to her for taking the high road.

    Only question is, is she happy?

    • That’s why Occupiers never seem to understand the 53%ers – we make the sacrifices we need to in order to get ahead whereas they seem to prefer that others do it for them.

      Clearly.

      They think that all workers, independent of skill, dedication and flexibility, should be paid, “The Same”.

      Your friend had two choices

      Three. She could have quit.

      Only question is, is she happy?

      She is. Bismark is no Seattle, but she is still in the phase of life where she is willing to sacrifice quality for future security.

      When she retires, it won’t be in North Dakota.

  2. The 1% thing is just a slogan. The movement is about abuse of power by wealthy institutions. To be sure, the lady in your example really did have a choice — she didn’t have to move to Bismarck, she could have found a different job. And compared to worrying about medical bills, paying for education, and the next month’s rent, her problems are luxury problems. But OWS is not about being anti-rich, it’s anti abuse of wealth and power to control the political agenda. Those are very different things.

    • The 1% thing is just a slogan.

      I disagree.

      They, and I think you, are big into the wealth disparity between the haves and the have nots. The meme that income disparity is growing AND that it’s a problem is meat and potatoes for the movement.

Leave a Reply to pino Cancel reply