@VelUL1c: Good grief, I was a lead and only earned $12/hr and I was given the "what-for" asking for a modest raise after six years of having to do ASM/SGM duties and the duties of EVERY position in the store (OA, CSA, MCA, MPU, janitorial) due to being short staffed, and this was all in addition to my own responsibilities. AFAIK, they still pay around $12/hr for leads in my district.
The pay was never competitive then. It was worse when the minimum wage went up. For a few cents less, I could have been a cashier with so much less on my plate. That was a slap in the face and that was what prompted me to get out.
Now I earn more like $16/hr, that's after being given a $1 raise after six months without me even asking, they just upped it out of the blue. This job is similar to my old one, it's just that I'm paid fairly for what the job requires and there's a future for the company. There is life after Sears.