Just Figured Out The Long Delay In a Job Interview Process.

I applied for a position I am very qualified for in early March.The middle of June came as well as an email with an interview invite,I accepted it and spent two days traveling to and from interview and was told that if I did well in this interview I would be coming back for a technical interview in mid July. In the first of August a Facebook friend who works the same position I interviewed for messaged me and said the company had froze all hiring pending a budget audit.

Three weeks ago I was emailed and asked if I was still interested in moving forward and being unemployed I said YES.Late last week they scheduled me for my 2nd and last interview for mid next week.

Well this morning I think I put 2 + 2 together about the long process when they sent me an email announcing they had finished negotiations with the union that represents the department....basically the negotiation resulted in a minus $800 a month first year salary then what I was first told in June. I emailed the department HR person back to clarify this and to see if they would honor the initial salary quote and to see also if the contract has any traditional wiggle room for people who have the type of experience I would bring.

If not I will have to turn it down as the cost to relocate and establish a new household from the west coast to the east coast would be prohibitive.

Is this the new normal for unions now...negotiate wages downward?

they are not content to hound unions out of existence, they also must squeeze the value of a union job down to nothing. UAW new hires were forced to accept a 50% pay cut in beginners pay, from $28 and hour down to 15+ but it's the best the union could get and save the jobs.

Our union SEIU bargained for us and this was the result. In order for there to be no layoffs during this agreement for our local members we, gave up all scheduled cost of living increases for the next three years, gave up raises for the next three years, will take 40 hr unpaid furlough each of the next three years, new hires start at a lower salary scale and a scaled back pension plan.

unless you are the CEO of AIG!

said "we 'can't afford' that!" and the union is an easy scapegoat. I'm guessing you're not getting the full story. If management can push down wages so higher-skilled people are accepting less, it's good for them.

Don't fall into the "unions/regulation are hampering hiring" meme. And good for you to stick to the higher wage -- don't scab on yourself.

......losing cartilage around its spine for the past several years,it almost seems as though they are becoming more complicit in working for the better good of the company than the dues paying member.

This is very frustrating being devalued each and every year.

on for a couple of decades now. In the airline industry, I believe it started in the 1990's, maybe even earlier, that employees were asked to forgo wage increases, and then give back part of their wages. At least some of the airlines underfunded their pension plans, and now the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporations administers a lot of pension plans. Those who lost the most in those were employees who'd worked a lot of overtime, which suddenly no longer counted in calculating pensions.

Meanwhile, those in the corporate suites have continued to get raises, and many get obscene "golden parachutes" when they leave the job.

Fortunately, the entire OWS thing gives me hope.

At least for most of us. Part of why so many people have had enough and have taken to the streets.

But unions are starting to face internal revolts due to this dynamic.

I got the feeling that we will see actual major strikes become part of regular life. But the internal fight has to end first.