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Post Info TOPIC: Getting Full Time and Seniority
Anonymous

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Getting Full Time and Seniority
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I have been working part time at my store for three years now. I started out in Drug/GM and in Nov 2015, I asked to be moved to cashier as there was more hours available. Since this past summer I have been trying to get full time status. We have had a good amount of people quit or get fired so that gave us even more hours to work with. Recently, they made someone in high school with maybe a year at the store a floor supervisor and as of this week, he now has full time status. About seven weeks ago, I talked with the front end manager and the store manger upstairs. They made it sound like I was being unreasonable for asking for full time. They said that because I don't have open availability, they won't be giving it to me. The high school kid also does not have open availability because he can't work any day until 12 noon. I can't work mornings on Mondays and can only work either 1-5 or 8-12 on Tuesdays cause of school Wednesday-Sunday, I'm available anytime from 5am-12 midnight. Either way we both have restricted availability. Yet even though I have been supervisor before, I'm trained on customer service, USCAN, fuel center, grocery, Drug/GM, I have never called out sick once, and I know where almost everything is in the store. They also gave two other cashiers that haven't even been there for four months more hours then me even though one of them would No Call No Show or leave when they sent her to break. Both of them are gone now but not because of write-ups but because they both quit. 

With all that said I'm going on eight weeks now of full time hours due to taking other people's shifts. We need 12 consecutive weeks of 36 hours or more to get full time. I'm going to assume at the 10th or 11th week they will really cut my hours and not let me take shifts. Is there anything I can do about this? I feel like I really got screwed over. Usually when I take people's shifts it is the sixth or seventh day of the week so sometimes I get no days off in a week. I'm really getting tired of it. They claim they can't work around my schedule but if I do manage to hit full time status, will they have to work around my schedule? Can I go to the union about this? I don't know if it helps but I pay dues, and the other person they gave full time to doesn't. I have also been applying to other jobs in case I can't get full time status. If they won't give it to me, I will most likely quit as soon as another job calls. 



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Anonymous

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Contact the union.  Under most contracts, they can't give full time to someone who has less seniority than another person seeking full time.  They either have to take away his full time, which I don't think they can do, or offer full time to the part time person with the most seniority. 



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Anonymous

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Well hopefully they can help, would I have to file a grievence?



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Anonymous

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From what you've said, it certainly sounds like you haven't been treated fairly or properly. Unfortunately, from what I've observed over the years at Kroger, there's a whole lot of favoritism that goes on at both the management level and top hourly associate positions such as department heads and assistant department heads. Opportunities aren't always offered based solely on performance and attitude, sadly.

It doesn't seem like the people at your store are willing to address your concerns in a fair manner, so yeah, I'd definitely speak with your union steward and/or rep and explain the situation. Do your best to stick with the facts so that the union can make the best and most solid case for you to management. If the union refuses to help, then you should probably either look into transferring to another store (if you want to stick with Kroger) as you may receive better treatment at another store or if you can get hired on somewhere else, ditch Kroger.



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Anonymous

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The week that they cut your hours to avoid full time, just pay the other few people in your department 300-400 dollars to call in sick. They will call you in. You win!



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Anonymous

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Op here,

That's exactly what I thought. I knew there had to be some favoritism going on. When I was in Drug/GM, the store manager would always ask me to do something extra on top of the work I did. Sometimes he would also call me in to do work in another department and 75% I said yes. I figured when I went upstairs to ask him for full time, he would at least try to see what he can do. Instead he said I only came in to help when I wanted to, yet anyone else he asked would not come in. This whole situation just pisses me off.



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Anonymous

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It doesn't sound like your store manager appreciates all that you do.  If this is the kind of attitude your store manager has towards you now, then it's unlikely he will have a sudden change of heart in the future. For that reason, if the union is unable or unwilling to help you or if you are unable or not interested in transferring stores, you should dump this job the moment some other place wants to hire you. Kroger isn't known for going out of its way to retain good employees or treating all employees equally.



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Guru

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Posts: 981
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I'm going to assume at the 10th or 11th week they will really cut my hours and not let me take shifts. Is there anything I can do about this?

Yes: file a grievance if you are under the Local 1000 contract or another one with similar provisions.



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Anonymous

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Read your union contract!  Here in Michigan, summer months don't count as your 12 weeks (I ran into that problem), then you are not entitled to full time, merely to full-time benefits.  Also right to work state status only is in effect for new contracts.  You can only opt out when a new contract is negotiated.



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Anonymous

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Anonymous wrote:

Read your union contract!  Here in Michigan, summer months don't count as your 12 weeks (I ran into that problem), then you are not entitled to full time, merely to full-time benefits.  Also right to work state status only is in effect for new contracts.  You can only opt out when a new contract is negotiated.


 That's a load of crap.  Either you're lying or you were lied to.



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Anonymous

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Op here,

I'm Local 204 in NC. It took me forever to get a copy of the contract but all it says is 12 consecutive weeks at or more than 36 hours for full time. I know next week I will be working 40 hours cause I'm covering a vacation making next week my 9th week. So I'll see what my hours are for the 10th week when the shcedule comes out friday. I'll keep you guys posted. If my hours are cut drastically I will most definitely file a grievance. 



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Senior Member

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Posts: 159
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Many contracts have language such that "as many employees as possible will be scheduled a 40 hour work week." If this is in your contract, you could also grieve on this basis. A competent negotiator will see that you get full credit for that time, and the associated benefit of full time even if you cannot get the problem resolved before "zero hour" on your window to get full time.

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The postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represent the positions, strategies or opinions of The Kroger Co. family of stores.

Anonymous

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Well the schedule just came out for the week of 11/6-12 and I have 30.50 hours but I will be taking someones shift which will put me at 36.50 for the 10th week. Can't wait to see what happens at the 11th or 12th week.



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Anonymous

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Wait till you see what happens next month. Any co/mgr making less than the new threshold for salary overtime exemption, will be dropped to hourly wages. This means if they go down to dept heads and you are one. That's right you may be bagging and getting carts again. Because if they go down so do you. Seniority comes first. That's right BUMP,BUMP, BUMP and the union can't do anything about it.

 



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