the times that I live in

I am on the verge of being a half century old. That doesn't bother me or excite me, it just is. What does bother me is that the things that I have somewhat counted on are going away, just as I need them. My employer has defined and ghetto-ized a class of employees, (yes, I am one of them), and sharply cut back benefits and options. If I was a bit further up the food chain, I would be safe from such chicanery, and, ironicly, if I was a step down on the aforementioned chain, I would be a lot better off. Those below me, (in theory anyway), are members of a union that negotiates these perq's and benefits for them. A dozen or so years ago, I was promoted out of those ranks, and willingly accepted the promotion, on the promise of a better retirement package and a slight raise in pay. Well, those two bennie's have been shot to hell, and the base pay in the job I left is now a few percentage points higher than my own. Health care? Fuggetaboutit. We have a "new plan", one that has an annual deductible of about ten times my net worth, before the insurer steps in to actually deny benefits. The pension plan is close to bankruptcy, having had its assets invested solely in company stock, (now trading at about a third of its value five years ago), and my benefit, naturally not guaranteed by a contract is as sturdy as a gnat in a strong wind. Now if I was a couple of steps up the ladder, I would be protected by "executive" status, those people who have a need to be insulated against allowing thier own well being to interfere with screwing others out of thiers. About 30% of the company population is paying the price for the times that we live in. If my employer were an individual, I would look at this as the measure of his or her character, but, as that is not the case, I suppose it is just the way that it is.