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But it was a lot harder when I was in my 20's in Pittsburgh during the steel crash and people lined up around the block to apply for jobs at the new West View Park and Parkway Center malls to work at Zayre's , K-mart or Gold Circle. The key for job seekers was to read the death notices and find out where jobs were suddenly unexpectedly vacated.
If a younger person, or anyone for that matter, doesn't like the opportunities here, they can try somewhere else or stick it out here. I've heard folks on the radio saying they've done well to move to North Dakota for good paying jobs.
I remember those days. People with degrees were mowing lawns for a living. Many people did relocate. That's why the region lost so much population and why there are so many Steeler bars throughout the world. Many people with degrees go back to school for a masters or an entirely different bachelors. UKyank's rant about going to school and improving ones lot applies to everyone, not just unskilled workers.
I'm curious if those, like the unit secretary, have opportunity to earn bonuses or other financial incentives beyond a regular paycheck. I would guess not.
you are correct, they do not.
at children's, it used to be if you got to the top of your pay range, you'd received performance-based bonuses every year. but since upmc took over more fully (after paying for the new hospital), they don't do that anymore. i'd assume that is uniform across the system for those kinds of clerical jobs.
and scr.... seriously. stop. i can't even think of what to say except try having some empathy some time, it might look good on you.
oh and there are definitely unit secretaries (they are actually called health unit coordinators but no one knows what that means outside of the system) and administrative assistants who have degrees at upmc.
Would either of you two care to elaborate? I happen to think Ms. Poston is off-base proclaiming that nearly $13/hr. isn't enough to buy food. Nobody has forced her to stay within her current position for as long as she has if she feels she can't survive on what she is making. What is stopping her from picking up a second job? I've frequently worked my second job to help reinforce my finances, as do many of Ms. Poston's UPMC peers. Also, I happen to know for a FACT that UPMC offers great benefits options.
Hopes, if Ms. Poston is a college graduate then why would she choose to stay underemployed for such a lengthy period of time? It's not uncommon to see someone with an M.A. working as a barista or someone, like me, with a B.S. delivering pizza, but with that being said college graduates and those with marketable skills should only be working in such positions as an interim measure until they can locate more suitable employment in their field of study. Has anyone answered my question yet as to why Ms. Poston hasn't sought internal promotion?
I have immense sympathy for those who are legitimately struggling economically. I lose sympathy when some of those who are struggling are only doing so due to their own lack of ambition. Like it or not these low-wage UPMC positions are never going to pay handsomely, and, as such, they were never intended to be held by the same person as a "career". Most people look for an entry-level position with a major company like UPMC with the understanding that they'll seek advancement opportunities as soon as possible. I currently am grossly underpaid relative to the stress and responsibility of my position, but my employer is a major economic powerhouse that has already promoted me once this year and will likely promote me again by mid-2013 if my job performance continues to be stellar. If Ms. Poston is such an exemplary employee then it boggles my mind as to why she has never sought the upward career mobility she would be qualified for.
scr, we don't KNOW this woman doesn't have the father of her children in her life. people are just speculating that maybe she doesn't. and your little rant about how women who have kids out of wedlock deserve nothing.... just, wow. being married doesn't stop men from leaving, you know. and even if you have no sympathy for single mothers unless they're widows (which is pretty gross, but hey), do their kids deserve less because of their parents' relationship? and NONE of this high horse, self righteous, heartless stuff you're saying about single mothers has anything to do with how much it costs to raise kids or what a living wage is.
and you know, one way for workers to get better wages is to start a union. hence upmc employees trying to start a union, which is what triggered this whole food pantry pr thing in the first place, at least at shadyside and presby. let's not get too focused on picking apart this one woman (who is very brave to stand up for herself and her fellow workers just to get torn apart by people like you) and lose sight of the big picture here.
i'm sorry that your pay is crap but that doesn't make pay slightly higher than yours not crap. and if you think your "several hundred dollars" student loans are comparable to the cost to raise children.... you just have no idea how much it costs to take care of kids. raising kids also takes TIME. if a single parent works 2 jobs to make ends meet, then they generally have to pay someone to take care of their kids while they are at those jobs. you can easily come out behind financially doing that. even if kids are old enough to be at home alone, parents need to be able to spend time with their kids in order to raise them properly.
i'm kind of curious about what you do at pnc that pays so little. i feel like what you're implying you make is teller wages, and that's just as much of an entry level job as being a unit secretary. i don't have a degree and the only time i made that little money was when i was working service jobs and temping. and you have high hopes now about advancing; i truly hope that works out for you but let's talk in 9 years, ok? let's not forget how much blame you cast around on other people when you couldn't find the work you wanted.
Comparing the cost of student loans to the cost of raising kids is somewhat tenuous. If daycare/preschool is required it's right off the bat more expensive than the average person's student loans, but even if you're only looking at the cost of say $400 in student loans vs $400 in kid's clothing, food, toys, school supplies etc., the comparison stops with dollars. Raising kids is time consuming. Which I suspect is the reason that Ms. Poston may not have a 2nd job or have the time to pursue further training or a degree (if she doesn't already have one). Hell, UPMC offers tuition assistance, so really the only factor is time and energy, not money.
Hell, UPMC offers tuition assistance, so really the only factor is time and energy, not money.
Interesting that you mentioned tuition assistance. Throughout my decades of working, I've seen many employees at many different companies obtain four year degrees while working entry level positions. The companies almost never promote them into other positions.
Usually it's because there isn't a position available for decades. For example the P/R secretary at Alcoa couldn't move into a P/R position because everyone working there were lifers. She wasn't leaving her position at Alcoa because she did make great money and the benefits were awesome. Benefits are important. If you get 4 or 6 weeks vacation, it's almost silly to leave for a job where you'll only have one week for the first year and two weeks for the next few years.
The only company where I saw serious advancement was at Marsh & McClennan. A guy that worked in the mailroom got his degree in the evenings back in the 80s. About 10 years ago, I heard he made it to Vice President. He's probably even higher up now.
Some companies reward their employees performance and accomplishments. Many companies don't.
it's pretty hard to advance as a clerical worker at upmc (at least in the hospitals) because once you go up the chain very far, everyone's doctors and nurses. the only exceptions i can think of off hand are hr or the health plan. oh and the one department, at least at children's, where an administrative assistant can advance very far just by showing aptitude is the IT department.
so yeah, unless that degree is in nursing or IT, it's probably not going to help. and there is an obligation to stay at upmc for a specific amount of time once your degree is finished, or you have to pay the assistance back.
Interesting that you mentioned tuition assistance. Throughout my decades of working, I've seen many employees at many different companies obtain four year degrees while working entry level positions. The companies almost never promote them into other positions.
Usually it's because there isn't a position available for decades. For example the P/R secretary at Alcoa couldn't move into a P/R position because everyone working there were lifers. She wasn't leaving her position at Alcoa because she did make great money and the benefits were awesome. Benefits are important. If you get 4 or 6 weeks vacation, it's almost silly to leave for a job where you'll only have one week for the first year and two weeks for the next few years.
The only company where I saw serious advancement was at Marsh & McClennan. A guy that worked in the mailroom got his degree in the evenings back in the 80s. About 10 years ago, I heard he made it to Vice President. He's probably even higher up now.
Some companies reward their employees performance and accomplishments. Many companies don't.
I haven't been around long enough to observe this for myself. I imagine the people at UPMC complaining about low wages wouldn't have any qualms about leaving the company for higher wages. And if benefits are what's keeping them at UPMC, then they should probably change their mindset and realize the benefits are part of their compensation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by groar
it's pretty hard to advance as a clerical worker at upmc (at least in the hospitals) because once you go up the chain very far, everyone's doctors and nurses. the only exceptions i can think of off hand are hr or the health plan. oh and the one department, at least at children's, where an administrative assistant can advance very far just by showing aptitude is the IT department.
so yeah, unless that degree is in nursing or IT, it's probably not going to help. and there is an obligation to stay at upmc for a specific amount of time once your degree is finished, or you have to pay the assistance back.
Comparing the cost of student loans to the cost of raising kids is somewhat tenuous. If daycare/preschool is required it's right off the bat more expensive than the average person's student loans, but even if you're only looking at the cost of say $400 in student loans vs $400 in kid's clothing, food, toys, school supplies etc., the comparison stops with dollars. Raising kids is time consuming. Which I suspect is the reason that Ms. Poston may not have a 2nd job or have the time to pursue further training or a degree (if she doesn't already have one). Hell, UPMC offers tuition assistance, so really the only factor is time and energy, not money.
UPMC offers maximum tuition assistance of $5,000 per year. It can only be used at Pitt or a community college. $5,000 at Pitt will cover a total of 6 credits a year in Nursing and the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. It would cover a total of around 7 credits in the other programs. $5,000 would allow you to go full-time at CCAC.
I haven't been around long enough to observe this for myself. I imagine the people at UPMC complaining about low wages wouldn't have any qualms about leaving the company for higher wages. And if benefits are what's keeping them at UPMC, then they should probably change their mindset and realize the benefits are part of their compensation.
Not all area corporations have low wages. As groar mentioned, they're called unit coordinators. They're not really secretaries. That doesn't mean their jobs don't require skills, but the skills aren't easily transferable to corporate secretary positions.
It's likely they are stuck there because their options are limited to WP/AGH, Highmark or any other insurance provider. (Anything that requires medical terminology.). Highmark does pay better than UPMC. I know people who have moved from Highmark to the hospitals, but I don't know many who have moved from the hospitals to Highmark. I suspect that billing and coding people would be more likely to move to Highmark. Most other positons at Highmark are customer service type postions, a skill set a unit coordinator wouldn't have any experience.
But then again, Verizon pays fantastic for positions that require few skills and experience. The customer service positions only require retail sales experience and typing. Within 5 years, they can easily make near 60k. Amazingly, health insurance is fully paid by the company, even for family coverage. Verizon is unionized. (When I say Verizon, I'm not talking the cell phone branch.) It may be very hard to get a position there. Even if someone has 10 years experience as a unit coordinator, they might lack the retail experience to qualify. (I think only a years worth of retail experience is required, maybe less.)
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Wow. I am at a loss for words.
