Seems that there are a lot of employees that just gets fed up with Kroger this and Kroger that . Comes to the point that they just want to quit, get fired or make their selves pissed off and miserable along with those around them. Keep hearing there is nothing I can do and screw it all. But what one little bagger or anyone else can do is try going to some union meetings, getting involved and trying to hold Kroger and management accountable to the Union Contract. No I realize that for some of those out there it is easier to bitch and moan and quit blaming Kroger and/or the union but the bottom line is these people can make a difference if they want to. I see that there is to be a contract vote in Cincinnati on the second of the month. and there will be more contracts coming up to vote on too. If these members that are all pissed off and think there is nothing they can do would show up to vote, then what difference would that make?
18 years ago I was one of them that decided to give the unions a try and started to attend meetings and try to hold kroger to accountability. I became a steward and was able to make it onto 4 contract committees. Does not take much if someone wants to try to work in a system to make a work place better. but it takes a whole lot less work to do nothing, let a boss screw you over and quit. Here is one example of what another dozen malcontent pissed off clerks could have done. Our last contract only had 38 members show up to vote on and it only passed by 8 votes. Not there was a trip to East texas to vote 22 members and only 12 showed up to vote and the end of the vote totals showed that it only passed by 12 votes. Now what would happen if all the meat clerks that bitched and moaned about the union doing nothing for them would have showed up ( at least 12 or more) and voted no.
Now what I am thinking is that the next time you get your head up your ass and hate this and hate that and management is screwing you, that you need to get involved in the union, go to meetings and hold your union reps feet to the fire to get something done. Bitching and quitting is easier. Working with the union, making meetings, knowing your contract and holding management to the contract may be a little more stressful but worth it in the long run for you and everyone else involved. After all it could be worse. It could always be wal-mart instead of Kroger.
this is good advice grumpy, however, I have thought about voiceing my opinion by going to union meetings but I have a feeling that my complaints and suggestions wouldn't be taken seriously at a meeting. I say this because when I talk to my union rep, he always just jumps around the answer, never states the answer, and backs the company 100%.
How much would 1 person's voice do at a union meeting? Having never been to one, I wouldn't know what to expect....is there time for open questions? Also, I haven't been with the company for an extremely long time, would other members act as though my thoughts, suggestions, etc were piddly?
I also want to add to this. I think we have 2 stewards at my store and 1 of them is worthless when it comes to knowing policy...he/she knows nothing. The other knows the contract, but my concern is that my problem involves him/her. I don't know who to talk to...union rep sucks....
Anonymous wrote:this is good advice grumpy, however, I have thought about voiceing my opinion by going to union meetings but I have a feeling that my complaints and suggestions wouldn't be taken seriously at a meeting. I say this because when I talk to my union rep, he always just jumps around the answer, never states the answer, and backs the company 100%.
How much would 1 person's voice do at a union meeting? Having never been to one, I wouldn't know what to expect....is there time for open questions? Also, I haven't been with the company for an extremely long time, would other members act as though my thoughts, suggestions, etc were piddly?
It is hard to say what one voice alone can do but getting more there can make a difference.
first thing is if it is always the same old people attending and no one else then all the union rep looks at is the concerns they here from those that is always there and never anything else or different.Same old views and nothing from the newer members. I am trying to start getting some of the newer ones involved to bring new blood into it with different views and ideas.
Now I have run into being skirted around the issues or answers from my union reps before and always had the thought that they do sometimes take the company position way to many times. But unlike management ( where they do not share much more than the company policies) the union meetings are a good start to understand policies, procedures, standards and the processes for grieving and dealing with issues that comes up. Many times I always thought they could just go in , throw down the contract and say this is the law and have it done now. Had to learn the hard way that it is just like dealing with politics in that nothing is done in a timely manor and that certain steps have to be done first.
Now our meetings are monthly where some others are quarterly. we do not get as many members show up as a quarterly one but stay consistent and do like when others come that are new to kroger or new to coming to the meetings. Sometimes it reinforces ( their comments) of what some of us old folks has been saying and sometimes it also lets us and the union know of other problems that are going on in the stores from management going off on their own agenda.
We usually start with what the union is doing as far as grievance pending, files and settled. there is time to ask questions and get answers and also for your rep to educate you on any issues that may come up with the contract issues. it is also a good time to chat with workers at other stores and know what is going on and if things they are doing is consistent with what is going on in your store and policies.
Now if you only have quarterly meetings then yes attend then all and learn. But if you have monthly meetings it will not hurt as much if you miss a meeting once in a while. Also if you start making more meetings then you go onto the radar map ( of the union) to start paying a little more attention to that store and sometimes a little quicker response to issues that come up if you are attending more meetings than others. Every store should have at least one if not more members attend. Especially the lower paid clerks ands entry lever people. They are the ones that both the company and the locals always seem to by pass and forget.
Anonymous wrote:I also want to add to this. I think we have 2 stewards at my store and 1 of them is worthless when it comes to knowing policy...he/she knows nothing. The other knows the contract, but my concern is that my problem involves him/her. I don't know who to talk to...union rep sucks....
Does not make a difference. Try attending the meetings and challenge or confront you shop steward there.
Your union rep can always replace a steward or turn to a more reliable member if they need to. Now I have not ever had many problems with my local ( UFCW 540 in Dallas) but have had many in the stores that have had problems with some of the local 1000 reps. Always advised them to contact the regional office in Irving Texas and follow up with a call or email to the UFCW in Washington. I have had a union rep once tell me that sometimes you just have to hold a reps feet to the fire on occasions as they are overwhelmed by some work and can not get to everything in a timely manor. They have to rely on some of the stewards and key people to let them know what is going on and to pass messages to other members. If you have a steward that is not doing that then go to meetings, get the knowledge and pass it along. That needs to be something that the newer hires and bottom clerks need to learn and do Most nobody gives a **** about this level of employees and to change that, it will take getting these people to want to go to meetings and learn what is going on.
If your steward does not give a **** then it is time to get the clerks that are **** on to attend some meetings and let the local know about the problems and the stewards that are not doing anything.
Can not say for all these members but I am sure that at some time they was all new Kroger employees and decided to get into the union and try to make a differance. These are the employees that was on the last contract team for the Houston area workers and collective barganing team. ================================================ Mitch Anderson, K-010
Lenda Cadoree, K-351
Ressa Dryman, K-256
Vanessa Grogan, K-318
Leman Johnson, K-238
Mary Lanting, K-950
Roman Leblue, K-328
Josie Leday, K-312
Charles Mitchell, K-314
Easter Nobles, K-355
Dora Petty, K-385
Dina Ponce, K-010
Veronica Saldana, K-363
Jesse Tigerina, K-361
Charlie Wilkerson, K-336 ========================== Just got to get involved sometime and try to take the time and change things one step at a time.
That is what this f#*&king forum is for! To bitch, moan and complain! That is why I come to this forum! To let off some steam!
I googled "Kroger sucks" and found this forum. Why the hell do you think this forum exists?
Not everybody is part of the Union. Nobody has my back but me. So excuse some of us that come HERE to let it out. I can assure you that MOST people on this forum are here TO BITCH, MOAN AND COMPLAIN!
both of the two union recruiters i have met are pushy,rude,condescending,and just plain useless.when i started kroger,i was told by the hr lady that union membership was optional.then the union guy pressed some papers in front of me and acted like i had to sign as part of being hired!i'm not a dumbass-so don't treat me like one.since then i hadn't joined the union.and when i transferred to a new store,the new union guy tried his pushy "join-us"tactics and i basically just ignored him.union sucks-they do nothing but take your money!!
