What's A Fair Wage?

[CoopKill]

Time to start looking for other work my friend.

[DuTTch]

If you are the only tech there,you got them by the balls,go find another job at higher pay and then bring it to them nicely and they will have to counter. Options are good

[AgentOblivious]

Not sure, I started in 2006 making 8.50 and im at 12.95 right now. Not exactly what I wanted to be making at 32 years old but I haven't always made the best choices in life so...

Well you're definitely getting real raises (higher than inflation), given your pay is over 50% higher than when you started (doesn't feel like much does it?). However, that still seems really low. Granted, minimum wage here is $10.25 and I'm getting a pretty lean deal at $10.92 here for warehouse work as it goes elsewhere for $12-15 an hour, so I'm not used to seeing people pay techs $8.50. You could suck it up, but honestly for all the people who bitch about people in 'lowly' jobs being paid too much to do too little, bad for business etc. at the end of the day if that raise went to you instead of the extra money going to the boss, you're not going to go hide it somewhere where it does nothing for GDP, keeping people employed etc. and it might even keep you from having debt troubles (which keeps the banks happy and happily in business).

In other words, go for a raise, the worst they can do is say no.

[Alan92RTTT]

Paid a higher rate, no.

But, IMO if the work they have asked you to perform requires that you not be at home you should be paid for every hour you are not at home. Every drop of gas all the food everything should be paid by the company. When you are on a business trip you do not have "free time" you just have time where you are not working. If you were salary it'd be different but you are hourly and they should pay for every hour that you can't be home.

[donniekak]

I've had several jobs, union, and non union where I would get paid from the time I leave my house, until I return. I would ask for travel time pay for anything outside our normal work area. Now the hourly pay would be the same, but the travel hours usually bump the hours into the overtime bracket.

[CoopKill]

Out of town pay is usually not paid hourly. It is paid as perdium, which is between $25-$75 per overnight stay away from home plus sleeping accommodations.

Check with your state laws, as they will have the minimums, and situational law pertaining to you. Calling is the best way, as they will just forward a bunch of document with no explanation. If your company has been subpar on travel according to local law, they will be responsible for back pay as well.

I am a construction superintendent, and travel often. It is in your best interest to learn the labor laws that affect any trade you are in. That goes out to all...