Should engineers price gouge 14

[2dye4]

After any hurricane in the US the price of lumber
immediately goes up even for inventory that was on
the shelf before the storm. The price rises can be
dramatic 3X or more. The reason of course is the sudden
need for repair lumber. This practice is widely supported
by the free marketers and the point is made that this
price gouging helps ration a crucial resource in times
of need. Makes sure people are building dog houses with
plywood needed for roofs.

Consider a scenario where the engineering outsourcing
suddenly is interupted by a dramic event or events.
Say a bird-flu pandemic or global war.

Is it ethical for us engineers to demand the market price
for our services in time of a shortage brought on by
international circumstances??

Maybe we ask 350000 US dollars per year for a job that
previosly paid 60000 ??

 

[regalia]

@moltenmetal
Great stuff molten. I knew that that kind of thing was a serious issue in Europe but never considered Canada was experiencing the same thing. Indeed engineering is a great profession, let's hope positive change occurs.

@0707
We have basically destroyed the engineering base in the US. It's true when they call engineering the 'new liberal arts degree'. Corporations do an awful job at recruiting and training of graduate engineers. They seem more focused on meeting afirmative action quotas than investing in the technical future of their country. As a result, these newbie engineers become useless as engineers and move into management to fill the increasing lack of talent in the management field.

 

[csd72]

Back to the original post:

Price gouging is when there is a conspiracy between major players to agree to charge a certain increased rate.

Selling your services to the highest bidder is not price gouging, it is basic economics. This is standard practice in all other professions, and it should be more common in ours.

I see too many people settling for less than they are worth or hanging around in jobs which underpay them.

When my wife went for her last job, she stated her salary. The came back with an offer 5k less, she said no way, so made a second offer 2k less than what she wanted and she said 'If you want me to work for you then this is the salary that you have to pay me'. She got the salary she wanted.

The best thing that you can do for engineering salaries is to sell your services at the highest possible price, this is not price gouging this is basic economic common sense.