Grocery Strike

by simplesally 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  imallgrowedup

  rem -

  Thanks for your support! I really do feel badly for the families that get caught up in the middle of these strikes, not just because an inopportune strike (when is one ever "opportune?!") can hurt a family financially, but because people who work in unionized shops are subjected to the whim of the union, whether they like it or not. The unions are very controlling, and they honestly do try to brainwash their members into thinking they are indispensable. They are not.

  We have several friends who are in the grocery business, so I honestly feel for them during these hard times. However, with all due respect, these people get paid 12 to 25 dollars an hour to pick up a package, run it over a scanner, make change, and maybe - if the bagger isn't around - put some groceries in a bag. I see absolutely no difference in job descriptions between a unionized clerk, and a clerk who works at Wal-Mart - except - the Wal-Mart clerks don't have the luxury of a bagger, and therefore must bag every order. The difference in pay is huge, though. Clerks at Wal Mart make about $10 an hour, and don't have the same superior benefits grocery clerks enjoy. In fact, I don't see much difference between a unionized grocery clerk and a kid behind the counter at McDonalds, either - and most McDonald's employees make minimum wage, and don't get any benefits, unless they work full-time! I don't mean to sound heartless. I know these families are used to having the best medical care with the least cost out of their own pocketbooks, and I know they are accustomed to higher than market wages for the positions they hold. Their entire financial foundations are based upon these two "givens", so if they can't maintain their current lifestyle, disaster could strike them! But the truth of the matter is that consumers aren't going to stand for these people being overpaid while getting benefits better than themselves for much longer. I know I silently voice my opinion every single time I visit the non-union grocery store in my area, because I am not willing to pay more for the exact grocery cart full of items, just so the unionized grocery store can afford to pay the higher wages when they shouldn't have to. I think the best thing these striking clerks can be doing right now is gaining new skills, because I doubt whether the market is going to continue to bear their out-of-sync-with-the-rest-of-the-market wages for too much longer.

  my 1 cent (I'm not unionized, therefore I can charge less!)

  growedup
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  rem

  imallgrowedup,
  
  I, too, have family in the grocery business. My brother-in-law (married to my sister) and sister-in-law (married to my brother) both work at different grocery stores. I know one is union, but I'm not sure if the other is. They both think the whole strike thing is silly and they both get good pay and benefits. I agree, though, that many grocery store employees are being paid beyond their skills.
  
  rem
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  lastcall

  Imallgrowdup,

  You make alot of interesting points, many of which I agree with like:

  The unions have done a great service to this country by ensuring worker's rights. In fact, there are now labor laws as a result of the hard work the unions put forth to ensure that everyone can work in "user friendly" work environments, or the company can be held liable. The labor unions have much to be proud for.

  But you also make some blanket statements about 'all' unions that I beleive are not fair.

  There are many different labor organisations, many do an excelent job defending workers rights, securing fair wages and benefits, and negotiating safer working enviroments.

  I have heard the argument often (generally by people who have not been part of a union) that unions have outlived there usefulness because now we have more laws that protect workers rights, the NLRB, the DOL, Osha, etc...they are not enough.

  We need unions now just as much as we did then, they are another check that balances.

  I know that where I work the only thing that keeps my company (which is extremely profitable I might add) from jamming a crappy benefit package down my throat in our upcomming negotiations, is my union.

  And fortunately the vast majority of my fellow members realize this too. So, we will take them to task. If we had no union we would have no recourse. Remember your average CEO in the US is making something like 450 times what an average shop worker in that company earns.

  These are the people we will be negotiating with.

  Right now I have better medical than my boss and my boss' boss. Because..... recently when corporate downgraded my supervisors' benefits and retirement packages, they had no recourse, no leverage, no UNION.

  My company is making record profits, yet they still were able to do this to them.

  My union is not using me as you suggest. I would pay twice what I pay in dues now, and it would be worth every penny.

  Folks in similar jobs that are non union make less in wages and benefits than I do... but their employers are smart enough to keep their pay just close enough to keep the union out. So even non union workers are benefiting from my union.

  To sum up: If Unions go "Bye Bye" the companies will take as much advantage of the worker as they possibly can. We are not dealing with benevolent "mom and pop" operations. We are dealing with corporate greed ...WorldCom, Enron, Tyco...need I say more.

  I am not going to hand my future over to the likes of them without a fight. And one more thing.. Unions will go "bye- bye" in this country only when corporate greed goes "bye-bye". Which we all know will be never.

  LC

  .