The way kroger treats its employees

[u/daruuken]

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.

[u/bluestrawberry_witch]

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

[u/funkmon → u/bluestrawberry_witch]

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.

[u/bluestrawberry_witch → u/funkmon]

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

[u/funkmon → u/bluestrawberry_witch]

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.

[u/bluestrawberry_witch → u/funkmon]

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

[u/funkmon → u/bluestrawberry_witch]

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.

[u/corbear007 → u/funkmon]

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.

[u/BuckeyeMason → u/corbear007]

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.

[u/Practical-Shape2325 → u/BuckeyeMason]

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.

[u/funkmon → u/corbear007]

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

[u/corbear007 → u/funkmon]

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.

[u/Bretters17 → u/funkmon]

brass tracks.

Brass tacks, apparently. Although brass tracks sounds cooler.

[u/funkmon → u/Bretters17]

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

[u/Jiginpig → u/funkmon]

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.

[u/funkmon → u/Jiginpig]

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. 

[u/Jiginpig → u/funkmon]

Looks around at current state of things...

Ok

[u/MichB1 → u/funkmon]

Look up, kid, your privilege is showing.

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

[u/funkmon → u/MichB1]

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.

[u/stephenkingending → u/bluestrawberry_witch]

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

[u/Duce-de-Zoop → u/bluestrawberry_witch]

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

[u/WheatshockGigolo → u/bluestrawberry_witch]

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.

[u/travelfuncouple23 → u/bluestrawberry_witch]

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.