Time and time again on this forum people ask for advice and it's difficult to help without knowing your contract. If you join the union, get a copy of the contract. Learn the contract. If you have questions ask your store steward. You cannot expect Kroger to abide by the contract, it's not convenient for them and a lot of the managers don't care. They only way to change things is by knowing your contract and making sure they follow it! If more employees would demand their rights be protected by the union they join, things would slowly change.
A good friend of mine who still works at Kroger laughed the other day and said "everyone's new here, nobody knows anything about the contract now that you don't work here anymore". Sad, but true.
Pretty much. If you're going to work here longer than about a year you'll probably want to know how to handle the multitude of situations that will arise as you climb the seniority ladder.... your contract is your guide.
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Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
One thing I missed because I didn't know the contract - funeral pay. I could have had 3 days off paid when my MIL died. Do you think Kroger offered me this? No.
Another right we have is that the union is required by federal law to provide a contract copy to any employee covered by the contract (which means everybody in rtw states).