Drinking the Pickle Juice

Response to Drinking the Pickle Juice

I feel as though I'm about to become very unpopular amongst those of you whom are lickley to first read my posts, if I'm not already.

It bothers me to hear about women who make less than men doing the exact same amount of work.  First off, I do not at all believe that there is anything less valuable of the work of a woman versus a man.  Under most circumstances, most women can do a job just as well as most men.  But when I hear about someone upset about making less, I can't help but wonder what they have done to remedy the situation.  Has she asked for a raise, or tactfully demanded a raise?  If you are unhappy with what you are making, and unhappy that it is less than a man, why do you settle to make less than the man?  I know in the past that is a task much more easily said than done, but I don't know that it is anymore.  I'm sure that not all companies are managed by those who feel a woman's work is less valuable.  Settling for less only perpetuates the glass ceiling.

That being said, it is also true that the whole story of the man making more is not entirely known.  I once had a position in which I made close to 50% more than the person doing the same job.  I was known by that dealership for time I spent there as an independant contractor, and when the opportunity presented itself for me to work directly for the dealership, they gave me exactly what I asked for.  They gave me the choice of three departments to work for and basically had to sell me on the dealership, not me sell myself - best interview process ever - and that was that, I waltzed in making a considerable amount more than the other, who was male with an engineering degree.  In my current job, I laid out exactly what I could do for the company and asked for a raise and change in job title.  I did not get quite the bump I had asked for, but I did get one as well as a managerial title.  The point is, sometimes there is more available than we know and a company should not be held at fault for allowing thier employees to settle for what they get.  Sometimes the act of asking for promotions or raises shows the kind of motivation worthy of getting them.  No one is entitled to more or equal to another based on gender.  It should be a non-issue, though I know it's not.  If you're working for less, maybe it is deserved for the simple fact that that is what you are settling for.

I am reminded of a saying: "The squeakey wheel gets the grease".  When I was in school, I never spoke up, and as a result, nobody paid me any mind.  It wasn't fair.  I was a good, polite, respectful student that as a result got no attention.  I remember specifically one instance in 8th grade.  The class was taking turns reading from the text book.  My turn came and I read almost flawlessly.  My turn ended with no comment.  Directly after me, a student struggled to get through the passage and recieved high praise for his reading.  I still harbor resentment toward that.  I didn't know how to work the system to get what I needed.  Now I'm in a new system where I feel quite comfortable and am fairly adept at getting what I want.  Not always, but every job I get I gain more in my ability to do so.

Sitting around and saying it's not fair won't get equality.  Women have to do something, more than men I'm sure, to get ahead and gain that equality.  And I do believe it's happening, but for every woman who says I'm not being paid equally but does nothing to gain equality, it sets back the whole movement of equality.