You must be getting hit by tankies, because this is a perfectly reasonable post.

I worked for a unioned grocery company for many years and there were no merit based raises, because they were negotiated years in advance and dictated by the union contract. Getting any discretionary effort was incredibly rare and difficult, because why am I going to do more and get paid trash wages for it? I’m not saying that’s the right way to think, but it’s prevelant regardless.