Corporate grocery

[rodentraiser]

Not in "right-to-work" states." More should be said but Fiona would get mad at me.

As I said, this was in the 80s and it was in California.

The worst cashiers I have found are at my local Walmart. But, these are people who earn so little, they need food stamps to buy their own groceries.

CD

Interesting you should say that. Back in 2014, Walmart listed changes to food stamps as a risk factor for the profits in their stores. I wonder how they're viewing the current soon-to-be changes.

For The First Time Walmart Annual Report Cites Changes To Food Stamps ‘And Other Public Assistance Plans’ As A Risk Factor

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I guess that I'm lucky that my only full size grocery is Walmart. I'm never disappointed by the cashiers there, because I don't expect them to know very much. That said, I almost always use the self-checkout, so I'm inputting my own items.

Around here the only requirement for a cashier is to be bilingual.

 

[GotGarlic]

As I said, this was in the 80s and it was in California.

You said that usually grocery store checkers are in a union; you didn't specify where.

 

[buckytom]

Or the "right to work for less" state!

I interviewed for a job the Senior Broadcast Engineer at WINK TV in Ft Meyers years ago. It would have been essentially the same job that I do now except that I would be in charge of running the entire station from top to bottom with a small staff. Maybe 2 or 3 other guys.


Florida is one of those right to work states, so I wasn't sure what they were going to offer as far as a salary goes. Everything went well until the matter of money came up.

To put it simply, they offered me for a yearly salary what I make here by the middle of March. Interview over.

 

[medtran49]

It could have been because it was a small station with a small budget also. But could have also been because of corporate mentality regarding cost of living in FL, draw of the nice weather, i.e. no snow, ice, and/or the right to work, or a combo. In the late 90s, early 2000s, I was working for a large corporation, think the #3 and an alphabet letter. One of the positions I worked in was being eliminated in our office so they offered the youngest and newest person (and her boyfriend who worked in a different dept) a transfer to corp hdq. Along with the transfer came HUGE raises for both of them. When they asked why, they were told cost of living was more and the weather.

 

[CraigC]

Or the "right to work for less" state!

Back in the mid 2000's, I did a survey on a mega yacht at a shipyard in San Diego, CA. The workers were all union. My observation was that they worked maybe 15 to 20 minutes out of each hour. I had always thought that the local shipyards were slow until that experience. I also remember those little series they did on Ford workers, going to bars while on shift and not clocking out.

So, I'll rephrase that for you. "The right to work less for more states"

 

[rodentraiser]

You said that usually grocery store checkers are in a union; you didn't specify where.

I'm not sure if Safeway is a nationwide store or not. I do know they're in several states and my assumption would be that if they were a union store in one state, they'd have to be a union store in all the states they have stores in. Isn't that usually how it goes?

 

[GotGarlic]

I'm not sure if Safeway is a nationwide store or not. I do know they're in several states and my assumption would be that if they were a union store in one state, they'd have to be a union store in all the states they have stores in. Isn't that usually how it goes?

No. Different states have different laws regarding what unions can do. I grew up in Michigan, which is a strong union state; my dad was a teacher and the teachers' union negotiated contracts and working conditions for the teachers.

Here in Virginia, the teachers' union isn't allowed to do that. My husband started teaching in 1991 and has never joined the union because there is no real benefit to him for the dues he would have to pay. The school system offers each individual a contract and a salary and you take it or leave it. There's no collective bargaining.

The only strong unions in this state that I'm aware of are the trades related to shipbuilding and the maritime industry.

 

[skilletlicker]

I have lived in California, Florida, Utah, Nevada, Texas, and Tennessee and temporarily resided several other places. Of those, all but California are "right-to-work" states. I got my first full-time job in the late 60s. In those days, like these, companies wanted to keep unions out. Beginning in the 40s, when most "right-to-work" legislation was passed, many of them employed a strategy of paying employees wages and benefits that took the incentive out of voting for union representation. I have never belonged to a union but still benefited by working for a few companies that structured plans to prevent unions from coming in. Nowadays companies employ less expensive strategies that don't benefit their employees. In fact, I believe, they intentionally do them harm in order to deplete what little labor power remains in our economic system.

I wish I could talk more about the relationship between the history described above and income inequality, but I don't know how to do that without introducing politics into the conversation and I understand and don't disagree with this forums policy of prohibiting such discussion.

 

[caseydog]

I'm not sure if Safeway is a nationwide store or not. I do know they're in several states and my assumption would be that if they were a union store in one state, they'd have to be a union store in all the states they have stores in. Isn't that usually how it goes?

There used to be a lot of Safeway branded stores in Texas. They closed most of them. However, they do own other chains here. In the Dallas Area, Tom Thumb stores are owned by Safeway. The Randall's stores in Houston are also owned by Safeway.

I can use my Tom Thumb reward card in Safeway stores, and my Kroger card in a number of other stores around the country, including Ralph's on my frequent trips to California. Kroger owns about a dozen store chains. Who knows how many store chains Safeway owns.

CD

 

[Vinylhanger]

The saddest part about this whole thread is that Safeway checkers make about 16 bucks an hour 30 years later.

Our local Safeway is pretty good. Lots of local produce and many of the same folks for years. The store manager just retired after something like 40 years at the same store.

 

[skilletlicker]

The saddest part about this whole thread is that Safeway checkers make about 16 bucks an hour 30 years later.

Our local Safeway is pretty good. Lots of local produce and many of the same folks for years. The store manager just retired after something like 40 years at the same store.

This is the saddest part my friend. On the other hand look at Kroger wages. A company operating in "right-to-work" states.

 

[caseydog]

The saddest part about this whole thread is that Safeway checkers make about 16 bucks an hour 30 years later.

Our local Safeway is pretty good. Lots of local produce and many of the same folks for years. The store manager just retired after something like 40 years at the same store.

That's almost double what a grocery cashier in my city makes.

CD

 

[bakechef]

Being in the grocery business, it's almost impossible in my area to find quality employess. Part of the problem is that there are numerous places paying the same type of low wages that we are, so if someone finds out that they actually have to "work" for their paycheck, they move on after a shift or two. There are many times that our job application system has zero applications, and we're a big company with a lot of stores in the area. Part of this reason is that we are in a very prosperous area, so it's pretty easy to find a retail job.

We have a training budget, once that is used up we don't get anymore until the next month. We've had 8 employees storewide in the last month and a half, finish training and either didn't come back or only worked a single shift. The crazy thing is, we ease them into the work and try not to overwhelm them.

In my store we work, we work hard and take pride in our store and it shows. Finding new people willing to do the same seems like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

 

[GA Home Cook]

This has stirred an old memory. When I was a child we had a neighborhood grocery. they had produce and grocery items, and a meat market. Carlisle grocery. I was and still am friends with the family. We lived about 400 yards from the store. I was about 5 or 6 (56 years ago). My mom would make a list, put the list and money in an envelope and send me to the store. I got a RC and candy bar (moon pie) and sat on the counter while Miss Betty got the order up. She put the change back in the envelop, the food in a bag that I took which hung on my shoulder and I went back home. Everyone was happy.

 

[CarolPa]

Be very careful when having your produce weighed by the cashier. I paid $12 one time for a bunch of kale because the cashier must have been tired from the long day and was leaning on the scale. I do self-checkout any time it's available. I like clicking through and looking for the different produce items.

 

[caseydog]

Being in the grocery business, it's almost impossible in my area to find quality employess. Part of the problem is that there are numerous places paying the same type of low wages that we are, so if someone finds out that they actually have to "work" for their paycheck, they move on after a shift or two. There are many times that our job application system has zero applications, and we're a big company with a lot of stores in the area. Part of this reason is that we are in a very prosperous area, so it's pretty easy to find a retail job.

We have a training budget, once that is used up we don't get anymore until the next month. We've had 8 employees storewide in the last month and a half, finish training and either didn't come back or only worked a single shift. The crazy thing is, we ease them into the work and try not to overwhelm them.

In my store we work, we work hard and take pride in our store and it shows. Finding new people willing to do the same seems like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Some retailers and restaurants are trying a novel approach. They look at the local wages around their stores, and set their wages higher than everyone else. They take the best workers away from their local competitors.

CD

 

[skilletlicker]

Being in the grocery business, it's almost impossible in my area to find quality employess. Part of the problem is that there are numerous places paying the same type of low wages that we are, so if someone finds out that they actually have to "work" for their paycheck, they move on after a shift or two. There are many times that our job application system has zero applications, and we're a big company with a lot of stores in the area. Part of this reason is that we are in a very prosperous area, so it's pretty easy to find a retail job.

We have a training budget, once that is used up we don't get anymore until the next month. We've had 8 employees storewide in the last month and a half, finish training and either didn't come back or only worked a single shift. The crazy thing is, we ease them into the work and try not to overwhelm them.

In my store we work, we work hard and take pride in our store and it shows. Finding new people willing to do the same seems like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Bakechef, you are a moderator I see. Please delete my membership or ask or ask Fiona or her boss to do it.

 

[Andy M.]

Bakechef, you are a moderator I see. Please delete my membership or ask or ask Fiona or her boss to do it.

Alternatively, you could just log out and not come back.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Bakechef, you are a moderator I see. Please delete my membership or ask or ask Fiona or her boss to do it.

Not likely that this will happen, skilletlicker. This part is near the bottom of the "Community Rules" page: We may remove accounts that have no posts. If the account has many posts, completely deleting the account can significantly disrupt thread continuity.

If you so chose, you can go away. However, it appears that your posts will live on in perpetuity.