Yes... that is very important to keep in mind.

It's an odd conundrum because if it's a money issue, they are basically asking you to make a labor of love, and if you're going to ask that, to me, there should be more openness/willingness to negotiate than what I am getting. For instance, they fired three people and didn't tell me. I found out from a coworker, who knew because they said goodbye. This coworker is also seeking a raise and feels underpaid, but was put on guard after all the people they let go suddenly. One of these people had been at the company for over a decade.

So it's very touch and go here. That's why I'm so interested in outside opinions! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, brainhi. I agree with you about working for a big company. You get treated like a non-person so easily.

I am grateful for this job, by the way, I just don't want to be taken advantage of, and I'm still trying to figure out where those lines are.