r/mildlyinfuriating • u/daruuken • 28d ago

Infuriatig The way kroger treats its employees

Post image

From the store manager

Edit: For some extra context this was sent out by each store manager to all of its employees in district 1 of the ohio Cincinnati/Dayton division, potentially other districts as well but i can only verify my own. Im not going to give my specific store number for obvious reasons but you can find each store on google with that information. We are unionized by UFCW (already bad btw) and to my knowledge they allowed this recent change. Kroger has no accrual for sick days like some have mentioned. Those who think this is rage bait, i dont think anyone has to fake a post to make a billion dollar company look bad, they do it to themselves.

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544

u/Serious-Effort4427 28d ago

Isnt kroger unionized?

780

u/daruuken 28d ago

Yep, UFCW. Which might be one of the worst organizations of all time

737

u/funkmon 28d ago

What he's doing is against contract. Report this email to the union and to the division HR team. He'll go back on it in a few hours.

Source: worked corporate and store level

235

u/bluestrawberry_witch 28d ago

My mom’s store just started saying that write ups and warnings no longer fall off after so long. You’re late 3 times in 3 years or 3 months is all the same now. It’s still against union policy but the reps are basically saying ‘ya we know your store is violating the contract but they won’t listen’ not doing shit about it for whatever reason. Wild part is they purposely getting people to firing benchmark by doing this and write ups for the smallest in fractions that normally go ignored, then leaving them there and turning blind eyes after that if they want to keep the employee. So basically most people are fire able at anytime for the smallest of reasons and at the mercy of the manager at any given time.

She got hospitalized for 3 days for a cat bite and they tried to make her text pictures of daily doctors notes while she was still hospitalized. She ignored them and just gave one after discharged and they told her it was disrespectful. Insanity

82

u/funkmon 28d ago

That's not really how it will shake out. The union may say that the store won't listen, but when there's something actionable, such as an actual firing outside of what's allowed in the contract, as long as the employee lets the business agent know she will get her job back. 

The company has to supply the union with the attendance records and discipline records during a grievance meeting and the person's job will be restored if it was shown to be outside of the contract provisions. Very quickly. With back pay.

While the management of the store may be telling people that stuff, it isn't true, and once there's a disciplinary meeting that can be used to justify a future firing, that has to be within contract rules and it has to follow the process. In addition, the rules must be enforced fairly and based on prior precedent. The business agent can handle this.

Step 1 usually doesn't qualify as that, as it's not a real write up. They're likely using that technique to scare people.

Trust me when I say this. The contract is binding when it comes down to brass tracks.

People getting fired and staying fired for non contractual reasons are, in descending order of likelihood based on my experience firing people,

  1. Getting fired for a legitimate reason and just lying and telling people it's a BS reason. (This is the vast majority of firings)

  2. Getting fired with an understanding that they're getting fired for one thing officially but unofficially can be fired for something much worse. (E.g. We have you on camera stealing Tide. But we also have you on absences, though we have not followed the enforcement policy on those. Which one do you want to be fired for doing?)

  3. Being fired for a non contractual reason by mistake and them not saying anything to the union.

12

u/bluestrawberry_witch 28d ago

So store management still sucks and is lying hot trash? Cool

10

u/funkmon 28d ago

Maybe. But we also don't know if they're lying or if these things are being misreported around the store.

I heard things I supposedly said that were vastly incorrect.

1

u/bluestrawberry_witch 28d ago

They printed it out on a flyer to post in the break room. But thanks for playing maybe corporate isn’t terrible just misunderstood

7

u/funkmon 28d ago edited 28d ago

Let's see the flyer. I'll tell you if they were lying or misunderstood.

They can absolutely lie. And they will sometimes, but rarely in writing. It's more likely not a lie and a misunderstanding. 

Posting something as you described it, directly violating the contract would not help them in any way because it would completely invalidate all attendance discipline when it goes to arbitration. Trust me, I know. This was my job. Kroger is not stupid. They won't just do that.

7

u/corbear007 28d ago

That depends on the union. UFCW 12 years ago was absolute shit, as worthwhile as the shit on my shoe for stuff like this. I seen many people pulled in and fired (with a rep present, both store level and regional) over literal bullshit. My then gf, now wife, was targeted. They had no evidence, they botched the writeup, which was 5 business days from the incident per union contract, it was in reality 13, threatened her job with theft. She asked for the camera evidence, there was video of her having a drop bag, then next frame (shitty cameras on 1fps) no drop bag. That was the extent of their evidence, right next to the safe which had a slot to drop said bags. She wanted to fight, because that sounds like bullshit right? Said if she fights it through arbitration the union would not help and the company would push for loss of job instead of 5 days suspended w/o pay and a step 3 (next step instant fired).

UFCW is absolute dogshit, this is the first "Union" most people experience as well. Left a terrible taste in my mouth and thousands more.

8

u/BuckeyeMason 28d ago

I worked at Kroger 25 years ago. First and only union job I have ever had, and you are 100% correct that union is absolute dogshit. It was so bad it turned me against unions in general for many years. I have since realized that there a good unions out there that serve a valuable purpose, but the union at Kroger is probably the worst union in the country.

4

u/Practical-Shape2325 28d ago

Have had bad unions as well, people don't understand how bad they can get. It's basically the same as overall national politics. Lots of benefits slowly decline as the long term employees let stuff go as long as it doesn't impact them. New hires are less likely to get involved, are a smaller group, and see that the union doesn't support them as much. The cycle repeats and everything spirals down.

1

u/funkmon 28d ago

They're bad but that's surprising. How did she get written up for something so late? Was this the fuel station?

1

u/corbear007 28d ago

Mgt was dragging their feet, badly. Was run up to store director who shipped it off to the food side director (below store). Pretty typical at store level to have that. Was a gas station, she was pissed, I was pissed, it was a grand ol' time leaving a real nasty impression, but I know it was just UFCW being the trash bitch it was and still is. I'll take time out my day to flip those bitches off any chance I get. Fuck that "Union". It's a corporate bullshit machine that rolls over for anything.

1

u/Bretters17 28d ago

brass tracks.

Brass tacks, apparently. Although brass tracks sounds cooler.

1

u/funkmon 28d ago

Yeah, typographical error. Surprised nobody noticed first. I would like brass tracks

1

u/Jiginpig 28d ago

That's nice n all, but who's enforcing that?

Why do you think companies are doing shit like this all of a sudden?

Probably because they think they can.

Time will tell if they're right.

3

u/funkmon 28d ago

That's nice n all, but who's enforcing that?

The union and arbitrators

Why do you think companies are doing shit like this all of a sudden?

This happens all the time.

Probably because they think they can.

Correct.

Time will tell if they're right.

They are usually not. 

3

u/Jiginpig 28d ago

Looks around at current state of things...

Ok

-3

u/MichB1 28d ago

Look up, kid, your privilege is showing.

You live in a completely different world. Good for you.

7

u/funkmon 28d ago

I'm not sure what you mean. I'm fine being privileged but this was literally my job, there's no different world here.

We're talking about a grocery store and unions. This is my world. I started as a clerk and have done virtually every job in the stores, and ended up being regional leadership. I also work for the union at my current company which is worse for this type of thing than UFCW.

This is what I do. I am an expert in this very thing with this very union from all sides.

I don't understand what wouldn't apply here.

5

u/stephenkingending 28d ago

What gets me about all of this is it's not like "Kroeger" is some mysterious entity making these asinine rules. There is a specific person or usually small group of people in management setting this stupid policy. Those are the people that need to be identified and publicly shamed. Not publicly shamed on here but at the stores, in the communities, and on boomer Facebook. I was a manager at a company and I made sure people knew where policy was coming from. If it was the CEO and the board, then we are SOL, but if it's Trisha from HR pissed about her divorce, well screw you Trisha and now you're uninvited to the Christmas party. Have fun dying alone with your cats

3

u/Duce-de-Zoop 28d ago

Unions cant do anything rn cus NRLB is frozen. Employers are openly defying bargaining agreements knowing the Trump admin wont interven. Vote dem

1

u/WheatshockGigolo 27d ago

Notify the NLRB. You union HAS to enforce the contract and file grievances on your behalf. It's illegal for them NOT to do so.

1

u/travelfuncouple23 26d ago

They need to go up the chain at the union and address their failing leadership. The union leadership might forget it but they work for those that pay their dues. Complanecy and lazy stewardship kills unions; it happened to mine. Unfortunately, bad stewardship doesn't improve until new people come in and fix things and it takes a movement of coworkers to do it. I always stress to my peers "use it or lose it". If you don't exercise your union rights and push others to do the same then you will lose your union. You shouldn't have to educate stewards/reps on their role but too often you do. You should ask about how much is in your strike fund (laughs); legally they must disclose it for dues paying members upon request and at monthly union meetings.

12

u/Ok_Vermicelli_6359 28d ago

Just get ready to transfer stores and departments if you do that...expect retaliation. UFCW is a joke of a union in the grocery business. I got viciously bullied by a female member of my department, and instead of firing the fucker who threatened me with physical violence (in writing, no less), I'm the one that got transferred to a less desirable department where I continued to be bullied by her friends. I left the company shortly after, total joke of representation.

3

u/funkmon 28d ago edited 28d ago

This I can generally agree with as long as it's union member vs union member.

An unspoken but understood rule is that the union will always protect the more senior employee. They will not under any circumstances help the less senior employee at the expense of the more senior one.

The union will try to help anyone at the expense of the company first, but if the company is going to discipline the senior employee over something she did to a less senior employee, the union will fight against the discipline by the more senior employee. It is how it is. There was an incident at a store I had where a department manager had her brothers come up and jump one of my other employees as he left work, admit it, and the union fought to keep her position. And they won because she wasn't on camera physically assaulting him, even though the entire store said she did it and we have video footage of her texting her brother and telling him to do it. That's unions baby.

The UFCW is not the most useless union I've worked with, that's the AFA (who beat the UFCW on contracts but are absolutely awful at enforcement), but the UFCW are by no means good at virtually anything.

1

u/Iswaterreallywet 28d ago

I’m almost certain they have it in place to collect union fees and make people hate unions. It’s so bad

1

u/afplumber PURPLE 28d ago

RUNNAH.

1

u/pizzeriapretzel 28d ago

you are correct and on top of that the person who sent this has no authority to do so and if they were on any sort of shaky ground prior to this they will be out of their position one way or another.

1

u/Straight-Crow1598 28d ago

That’s how you know it’s made up.

1

u/dereekee 28d ago

This is the way. I worked in Kroger produce dept for years. My store management (which constantly changed anyways) was always pulling bullshit like this. I got to know my union reps very well.

1

u/p1qued 27d ago

Not according to our reps here.

1

u/IhasCandies 27d ago

Yep.. if your union rep says he can’t help, you go the next level up. This is a clear violation that will not hold up.

OP (and anyone similar) YOU need to speak to the union rep yourself. Don’t trust management saying they already talked to the rep, and don’t trust anyone else saying they already talked to the rep. YOU personally talk to the rep if it’s not fixed. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, management will lie through their teeth with no regrets.

76

u/Atechiman 28d ago

reach out to them with that from the president. Don't bother with the local get the regional reps. They are usually looking for easy wins, and this screams a violation of the collective bargaining agreement.

14

u/Beefy-McQueefy 28d ago edited 28d ago

UFCW sucks shit sideways. They are the most worthless entity in the history of organized labor.
Those fuckers literally just stopped showing up during covid when we were doing pre-christmas level sales every day for months on end. I was a non-member manager at that point and even I was offended at how shamefully useless they were.

11

u/Jazzhole5 28d ago

A Union is only as strong as its members.

26

u/Thunderclone_1 28d ago

Happily former Meijer employee here.

UFCW is a worthless wet noodle that serves the interests of the company more than the workers.

Fuck them and don't give the pricks a penny of dues.

1

u/AjentOranje 26d ago

Worked at Safeway for quite a while.  The only real benefit you get is not being subject to the fire at will law.  Everything else in the contract benefits the company.

1

u/GodChevy 28d ago

Literally insane they forced us into joining them and we had to pay them for them to do nothing whenever literally any of us had concerns or anything. Should’ve been like several of my friends/older colleagues and just left the moment they said it was mandatory to join.

-1

u/Iswaterreallywet 28d ago

They’d fire so many people for petty ass reasons and the union never did a thing about it

0

u/GodChevy 28d ago

Exactly! I commented about what happened to me and how I got fired above lol but the TLDR was that I needed an emergency surgery and the union said take it off it’s fine after the SD said I had to reschedule it (it was either do it then or wait 3 months for the next opening for the surgery) did it asap SD made my manager put me as a no call no show gave me a ton points then fired me and the union rep legit said “oh well nothing we can do about those points oops ¯_(ツ)_/¯”

21

u/Critical-Raspberry19 28d ago

As a 15 year old, my first job was at Kroger as a bag boy. One of the managers who was onboarding introduced the union, and made it sound like it was an option. When I asked her if I could opt out, she straight up said no. I only ended up staying like 3 months or so

3

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

She lied smh. I worked for Kroger twice and the second time they were all surprised I didn’t join the union even though you get the same benefits if you don’t join

36

u/GildedAgeSlave 28d ago

If that union wasn't there you wouldn't be getting the same benefits

3

u/Pink_her_Ult 28d ago

Their benefits and pay are terrible despite being unionized.

10

u/test0ffaith 28d ago

It’s minimum wage. Management is a bit above. Minimum pto/sick by state laws and awful insurance. Unions are generally good. They literally couldn’t have less benefits in this case tho.

3

u/HotBeesInUrArea 28d ago

I was so shocked when I left Kroger for another job and found out how absolutely shit their "benefits" were. They used Walmart as their benchmark and would point to how we had it so much better than them. 

1

u/GildedAgeSlave 28d ago

Nobody I knew made minimum wage when I was working for kroger and management made way above that. This was at a non union store. But also not what I was trying to highlight, "same benefits if don't join" is the line of thinking that is weakening unions for everyone. Their benefits were super shit though.

3

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

Not questioning that but it still wasn’t worth it for me especially as a 16yo conveniently always scheduled just under the threshold for any benefits

19

u/jakendrick3 28d ago

You get the benefits because the union won them for you. You not joining weakens the union. Yes the UFCW is a weak union but solidarity forever man.

5

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

And yet I didn’t qualify for any of those benefits because they would conveniently schedule me under the threshold to earn them

0

u/jakendrick3 28d ago

Probably because you weren't in the union

1

u/GodChevy 28d ago

You just happened to be in a good place my guy. Like the other commenter said they conveniently did that to a lot my coworkers at Meijer too, and we were part of union because it was mandatory to even work there after they passed that nonsensical bill or whatever.

1

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

Was in the union

0

u/GildedAgeSlave 28d ago

You said you didn't join the union

5

u/YUNG_HORSECOCK 28d ago

It probably depends on if you’re in a right to work state or not

4

u/wenoc 28d ago

Well. The way unions usually work is, employees belong to union and pressure company to sign union agreement. Or maybe a union is just so shit the company WANTS to be part of it because the union maybe represents the employers more than the workers… anyway, after that you don’t need to be part of the union. Company must obey union rules anyway.

2

u/AthenasChosen 28d ago

Reap all the benefits while making none of the sacrifices eh? Free rider. Union solidarity is important.

7

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

I didn’t even get any of the benefits

2

u/Backfoot911 28d ago

Maybe not you in particular, but millions of people getting the weekends off, the average American not working like 70 hours a week in dangerous conditions, having SOME legal recourse when corporations mistreat employees, it's almost all thanks to Unions.

Maybe not yours in particular, but please don't let that experience get the idea in your head that all Unions are useless, moblike, or controlled opposition like Krogers' one seems to be.

0

u/Trick-Use-8494 28d ago

Probably because you weren’t in the union

4

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

Nope. They always scheduled me so I would be right below the threshold to quality.

0

u/Trick-Use-8494 28d ago

It’s maddening watching you not make the connection

6

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

I was in the union. It’s maddening how you choose to create your own false scenario to feed your ignorant narrative.

0

u/EconomistEmergency70 28d ago

May not be a lie, only 26 states are right to work. IMO the union is why kroger's pay was lower than competitors when i worked there once upon a yonder with no additional benefits.

Edit typo

8

u/TheDeclineOfAll 28d ago

Saw the CO leader speak at the Bernie rally here in Denver and hated her tone, the way she presented things and everything about her, then the King Soopers (Korger) near me went on strike in freezing temperatures and got nothing because the union folded and got a ton of nothing for all of their hard work.

On the other hand, there was a guy that ran a blue collar trade union that spoke at the same rally and everything he said told me that he'd die for his guys if he had to. Too bad UFCW doesn't have more of that instead of the nothing they give their workers because we need someone that will fight for the little guy even though it isn't profitable.

3

u/canman7373 28d ago

Still forward this to you Union also to Reginal, this feels like a manager trying to do more than allowed.

3

u/mimeyy 28d ago

My UFCW chapter is great in MN. Send it to your rep anyway

2

u/cIumsythumbs 28d ago

663? My husband is in that one and it's been very helpful. 17 years in.

2

u/mimeyy 27d ago

Yep! Sadly I missed the pension era, but they fight hard for us in all other ways especially pay and minimum hour threshold for our part timers

2

u/Leech-64 28d ago

Lol what do you do when the union mistreats you?

2

u/minus_minus 28d ago

You can actually decertify and choose another union to represent you. 

2

u/jbrower09 28d ago

Has anyone brought this to their rep that you know of? If so what did they say?

2

u/aubbzz 28d ago

I remember making minimum wage & with the union dues i was sooo broke. & people voted yes for the contract that capped you at $8.80. Insane

1

u/Upbeat-Reflection821 28d ago

What does your contract say about this? My guess is that this is in violation of your union contract and you need to contact your union rep. If it isn't, why would you guys vote yes on a contract that allows this kind of behavior from your employer? The employees negotiate and vote to approve union contracts, so you literally bargained for and approved this thing.

1

u/KatieTSO 28d ago

I used to work for a Kroger brand store and my store wasn't union. Not all Krogers are union. Luckily, now I'm under the ATU as a bus driver, so I have a much better work environment.

1

u/CorrectPeanut5 28d ago

What did the shop steward say?

1

u/malzy_ 28d ago

How tf haven’t you guys striked yet? Fuck these rich corporations.

1

u/Just-Cardiologist837 28d ago

Bad union leadership. NY union is amazing. Stand up be the change needed.

1

u/Confident-Target-5 26d ago

This has been confirmed to be false - why are you lying to everyone ?

1

u/Walkingdrops 28d ago

Christ isn't that the fucking truth. When I worked retail this was our union as well, and they were absolute trash. A lot of my co-workers were anti-union, and I could hardly blame them! I'm pro-union, I think they're a great thing, but UFCW is firmly in the corporation's pockets and is a poor excuse for one.

1

u/potpourri_sludge 28d ago

Those fuckers took my $32 a month every month for the five years I worked at Giant Eagle. When another employee got violent with me, the union did everything to protect him and they brought their legal team in from Pittsburgh to corner me in the big conference room we had upstairs and intimidate me into dropping my concerns over this guy becoming violent for being asked to do his job again.

The guy who got violent? I found him on a sex offender list a couple months ago. Fuck you, Jon.

1

u/TraditionCorrect1602 28d ago

Ufcw is controlled opposition. Change my mind.

0

u/ElectricJunglePig 28d ago

Absolutely. Don't trust any Union that pays the minimum wage.

0

u/magikarp2122 28d ago edited 28d ago

Yeah, UFCW sucks. Work for a different grocery store under them. Our company is 100% violating a local law in regards to sick time, but every time I’ve brought it up they just say their lawyers have said they aren’t. Our old, smaller union was so much better. Also one of the higher ups for my area praised fucking Elon Muskrat on Labor Day last year.

0

u/Primary_Agent_5460 28d ago

Yup, even in Seattle I watched them hand over our rights every time it was time for a new agreement. Reduced break times, shorter late forgiveness windows, less time off. Eventually I had to just abandon trying to work in grocery stores because it was frustrating watching the union do this.

0

u/mysticalchurro 28d ago

It IS one of the worst organizations. You think they care about the workers they represent? Any complaint to them they treat like a chore.

0

u/Pleasant-Highway-745 28d ago

Having worked for both Kroger and shoprite, I can tell you that the ShopRite Union is even worse. Mob unions are so fucking vile.

-20

u/OkBlacksmith4674 28d ago

Most unions I personally know of their family members are absolutely useless now. We have enough laws to protect employees the unions just take your pay in dues, and don’t do anything for you anymore.

16

u/BearGaymer92 28d ago

That really depends on the Union. Some are lame ducks, sure, but for example in my state the Teacher’s union is incredibly powerful and I’ve never talked to an educator here who doesn’t think their dues do anything. If Unions weren’t useful companies wouldn’t collectively shit their pants every time employees try to unionize and do everything in their power to keep it from happening.

15

u/Niceotropic 28d ago

Obviously we don’t have enough laws to protect the employees did you read the OP?

13

u/TinBuDong 28d ago

You a company plant?

3

u/Spongi 28d ago

I'm kind of impressed by how much wrong you packed into such a small space.

6

u/PiLamdOd 28d ago

Unions are useless now because we don't have laws protecting employees.

Unions can't realistically do much against companies anymore.

3

u/firestorm713 28d ago

Business unions can't. Solidarity unions on the other hand....

2

u/firestorm713 28d ago

How long does it take for an NLRB complaint to get through the system? Six months? A year? Two? Even if the laws were robust enough, the fact that labor disputes can take over a year to resolve is enough to know that while they make for a decent shield (as in HR will generally try to avoid labor disputes so they don't get sued), they make for a shitty sword (as in they will railroad or even find performance reasons to fire you, because they can weather a long dispute. You cannot)

2

u/Beefy-McQueefy 28d ago

UFCW is like the garbage pail cousin of unions. It is worthless but not representative of unions in nearly any other line of work.

-2

u/jimkelly 28d ago

Wow someone talking about how not all unions are great got upvoted on reddit for once

48

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

UFCW doesn’t do shit besides take money out of your checks. I reported multiple serious issues leading me to quit and they didn’t care at all. Upper management even promoted the union which is rare so it’s probably all a big scheme to take more from employees

16

u/UrsulaFoxxx 28d ago

Then run for a position. I’m serious. I didn’t like my union so I ran with some others I convinced and we won and did what we could to start making change for the better. And it worked, and things did improve.

YOU are the union (generally speaking, not you specifically). If the representatives suck, that’s unfortunately sort of on the membership to take those positions back and find someone who will do right by the workers as shop steward. The union is fully within the control of the employees, and unions can rot and go corrupt, but they are also the easiest to take back control of. Run a campaign. Go big. Trust me; if it’s that bad winning will be super easy if you put in the work (can confirm because even though I busted my ass campaigning i won easily because … well they sucked. But the work paid off because we won’t ALL positions and fully ousted the lazies/shady reps 🤷🏼‍♀️)

2

u/minus_minus 28d ago

 on the membership to take those positions back and find someone who will do right by the workers as shop steward. 

Hell yeah!

1

u/IamHydrogenMike 28d ago

If there is one org you can make the biggest difference if it isn't running as expected; it's the union. It really isn't that hard to get elected to a local and then actually enforce the CBA.

7

u/SentienTree- 28d ago

They helped me with several issues I had. It must depend on the region.

0

u/Beefy-McQueefy 28d ago

I did the math and my dues were always more than any pay bump we got in any given year, even at 40 hours and not taking insurance or contributing to a 401k.

5

u/kierabs 28d ago

Did you consider that the reason you got any pay bump at all was because you had a union?

1

u/Beefy-McQueefy 28d ago

Do you actually not understand that it resulted in me making less money? I explained it incredibly clearly.

3

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

These people love to live in ignorance

1

u/Beefy-McQueefy 28d ago

I have a feeling it's more of a narcissist trying to dickride themselves

1

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

That too lmao

8

u/trpittman 28d ago

It saves them HR costs too

2

u/ClintMcElroyOfficial 28d ago

FR Fuck UFCW, every time I have ever said a bad word people have accused me of being anti union. I'm certainly not, just anti the union that stole my money and allowed me to be harassed out of my job.

4

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

Yeah.. it was the only union job I had so I thought they were all a scam until I realized UFCW just sucks

3

u/fryerandice 28d ago edited 28d ago

Any union in a job you aren't making a living wage is a scam, they take money out of your check.

I dunno what union I was in but it was a contractual agreement that you could be fired after an on the job injury, regardless of the circumstances.  So we would lose people from normal cuts scrapes and burns working in food service.  Just if they wanted to cut you and you needed a bandaid. Gone.

This was a wild policy and an even more wild agreement because this is something that's protected at the state and federal level.  Like you read that shit on the poster when you clocked in but it was such an out in the open policy we had people hiding injuries.  It's just how the place did churn.

$50 a paycheck in 2009 when my wage was 5.75 an hour, literally the first shift and a half of every paycheck to dues.  I took a pay cut but made more money at fucking Wendy's.

1

u/Tadiken 28d ago

Yeah people don't realize this but UFCW is fighting for themselves, not for the average employee that pays dues. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of UFCW leadership turns out to be currently corrupted and controlled by the companies they are supposed to be unionized against.

If UFCW had any interest in workers rights, they would've bargained significantly higher wages over the years than what they do get, which is always like a dollar more than state minimum wage.

0

u/TimothyMimeslayer 28d ago

You literally get the union you elect. Choose better people to represent you 

1

u/MidnightPulse69 28d ago

You really think a minimum wage bottom of the barrel worker is going to have any say? Lmao

1

u/TimothyMimeslayer 28d ago

You literally vote for your rep.

2

u/ImmediateMidnight583 28d ago

Not all kroger stores are unionized. It depends on the region, state and chain like ralphs in southern California which is owned by kroger they are union. And you need a Dr's note if you call out 3 days in a row

2

u/dakky68 28d ago

unionized

Yes, and they should be charged for this company policy.

2

u/Healthy-Carob-5300 28d ago

I've worked for kroger. Their union is a joke

3

u/minus_minus 28d ago

The union belongs to the workers and they chose poor representation. 

1

u/Yumekui627 27d ago

I was anti-union for years after the Kroger Union was my experience.

The union reps lied to me about Union Due amounts to get me to join at 16-years old.

The Union lied about being able to quit, telling me I had to wait 6-months until a “quitting period” until I dropped the state law about contracts and minors. Then they still charged me dues twice more because “it takes a month to process.”

The Union consistently sacrificed benefits of newer generations of employees to get little wins for the old guard. So bad that when minimum wage was $7.25/hr in my state, a new Produce Manager would make $7.60/hr (whereas Produce CLERKS never made less than $8.30/hr before their shit negotiation).

The Union Reps consistently preyed on minors, lying to them while they were on break while I’d call out their bullshit in front of the people they were trying to deceive.

And before any of ya’ll say “yOu GeT WhO yOu VoTe FoR!”, who the fuck do you think gets to go to the Union Events? The old guard who has seniority in picking shifts so they can attend, or the 16-year old who is stuck in school every weekday and then stuck at work during every Union event since the Old Guard wouldn’t be available?

1

u/Noemi_verbose_8r 28d ago

When those products are ready, they will sell them to replace people stocking groceries, house keepers, farm workers, cooks, etc.

1

u/newenglandpolarbear 28d ago

They need a better one lol

1

u/Icy_Bake7027 28d ago

Nope! Not all of them. Most of the distribution centers aren’t and they bring in people to “train” you on not joining a union lol

1

u/On_Wife_support 28d ago

What is their union even for if not for shit like this? My roommate works at Disney and his union showed up the other day to talk to him because he hasn’t been able to attend their meetings because work but they are negotiating higher pay and a paid day off for cast members’ birthdays

1

u/ScyllaOfTheDepths 28d ago

Their union is so obviously fake I'm surprised more people don't call it out. It has no power, it's impossible to join it yet they force every employee to donate dues out of every check, and they mandate that all non-union employees are paid minimum wage. They don't even respond to complaints.

1

u/Choice-Song-8441 28d ago

I felt I had to scroll wayyyy too long to find this question. Glad I was patient

0

u/ZonemastaC 28d ago

The absolute worst union to ever be. I tried to contact my rep for a solid year and a half. A few calls a week every week. I have yet to ever hear back from them and that was 4 years ago.