Moving Up The Ladder

So this past week, I got a letter from Human Resources informing me I got a promotion. I am now an Executive Director. Normally this would be a fun and positive thing in a person's life but I can't help feeling a tinge of sourness. This is due to what has been going on at work and how this promotion came about. See a few months ago, the boss that I had been with for five years left. So my other boss, who became my new boss was trying to get us all paid better (which we appreciate him fighting for us). They weren't replacing my old bosses position nor his executive assistant's position. But they were replacing him with a lower level position, namely a Director position which was my current level until this promotion. So that left a ton of money open. We had been made promises for the last year and a half that things would get better in our department so everyone thought that this would be the time they would boost everyone up to the proper level and compensate accordingly. But of course our big bosses probably didn't see it that way. Namely we didn't feel they fought for us. Because our US colleagues just promoted 15 people in their department, all with huge raises so we didn't quite buy that the company didn't want to shell out money in this hard economic time. While we all got a promotion we only got a small raise. I don't want to complain because I could have gotten nothing in this hard economic time but when you go through stuff for years with promises only to have the money pulled and go to people for new jobs overseas it kinda sucks. Plus to witness people downstairs who were assistants when you started now VP's its little hurtful. We have been asking to add new people to our group all the time and to add insult to injury the Interactive guy who flew over this week tells me that oh yeah HR is great and getting him 2-3 people. Well, I guess we know where the money went. To add even more insult to injury, they have hired our old assistant, who of course we loved, back as the said Director. So now we feel bitterness against a person we otherwise loved. Our other manager got promoted to Director too so of course they had to raise me to Executive Director or I would be super pissed if two people who started three years after me (one as a manager and one as an assistant) are now my same level. So that is kinda why it's hard to celebrate my promotion because I feel like they gave it to me to shut me up. Because I was asking to be promoted to VP which they didn't want to be top heavy and because those other two guys got promoted big time. Stupid f**kin' boys club. Then more injury, the increase was low. As in I make about $1K more than the top salary level of the Director position. We all should have gotten a bigger bump with the titles each of us got. So if any of us search for another job and they ask for salary history (which they always do in Hollywood) the new people will get us for cheap. Basically my two colleagues got the same deal as me as they decided to split 10% of my old bosses paycheck three ways. So yes, I got a promotion, got a title but it's hard to feel cool about it, like I earned it in the eyes of the people I give my soul to. I mean I know I deserve it but at least when they give it to you they could pat you on the back instead of telling you, I know you probably won't like this and if you have to leave you have to leave. So much for loyalty. All of us give our heart and soul to this place. That is what is frustrating. We all love our jobs and the people we work with. We have a good group and no one wants to leave but when you don't feel like you contribute anything to a company or feel part of it, its hard not to feel bitter. All anyone wants to feel is appreciated. My group dedicates 12 hours a day to work, working through lunch, coming in early, staying late, being on the blackberry on the weekends, all we wanted was a nod that people appreciate the miracles we produce.