Hello, I am a full time clerk that has worked for Kroger for 9 years. I am full time and have had the same availability for the last 3 years. Saturdays off, but available other than that (7am-12pm any other day). I have had very little issue getting this availability in the past, as it's actually very open in comparison to others. Recently I switched to the home side that has about 25-30 employees and have seniority over most. My boss tells me today that they will not allow this anymore because they want to be fair to others. (going by seniority apparently is a fair system)
When looking at the schedule there are about 5-7 people off on Saturdays. He said they don't take seniority into account and that I have to have a completely open availability. He said they DON'T place the Full-time people ahead of part timers when making out the schedule and I asked him what is the point of seniority at Kroger and he could not answer ("That's a good question!"). He also said that because I am a good worker and Full-time that I NEED to be there on weekends. I asked him if he could write this down so that I could run it by the union rep and he said he wouldn't.
I am not a lead or anything other than a clerk. My boss said he talked to the store manager and they aren't going to allow people to be unavailable on weekends unless they are part of the really old contract from the 80's. Basically, I know they can give me Saturdays off, they just don't want to because I am a "valuable employee" with 9 years of experience, while a lot of people are new and not very competent. I am the most physically capable person, as well as extensively trained on CAO, etc. Most others can't run P.I.T., use a telzon gun, let alone lift more than 15 pounds.
I'm being told by him that being full time is not a benefit, but a negative for getting preferred availability, and I'm being punished for being a good worker with lots of experience. I'm waiting to hear back from the union, but is it just more or is this totally ridiculous to not take seniority into account when writing the schedule? A store manager can just say we aren't going to allow people to be unavailable on weekends? Anyone have any suggestions on what to do? Sorry it's a long one, just wanted to give as much infor as possible. Thanks in advance.
if you have had the same days off for the past 30 days then you have a regular scheduled day off check with you union office and they will help you do not talk to your union steward they are on the side of management
In many other departments employees are getting their scheduled weekend days off just fine so I'm not sure why my department has special rules and can't just make a schedule with full timers first and fill in with the part-timers like common sense would lead you to believe. It just seems to be me specifically they are trying to blackball. I talked to my HR and she thought it was unfair considering my seniority, but after talking to my boss the HR lady said she wasn't sure and that he told her that the leads on my side leap frog me in seniority, which I know, but they also are expected to not be unavailable on weekends (If employees "aren't scheduled by seniority" than this contradicts what he originally said anyways.) He also tried to convince her that Part-time and Full-time are different classifications and if they need a full-time person to work than my seniority is low(er), if that makes sense. Totally defeats the purpose of having part-timers, but they are running with that "argument"
The Union rep thought it was strange and made no sense and is going to talk with them Thursday, I'm hoping he puts his foot down and sees through the shenanigans. I asked My HR lady for our HR coordinator's phone number so I could get the information she was lacking and that seemed to motivate her a little more. I gave the HR coordinator a call anyways and left her a message. Our HR lady should know something as simple as how the procedure for making a schedule and not be influenced by a biased manager making his own rules up.
I'm not sure if I should just not show up if I'm scheduled on my day off or not. Could you further explain this "last 30 days availability" some more? I have not worked a Saturday in some time, but I told them I would make arrangements so that I could work a special event last Saturday, which I did. Wish the managers would stop making up rules because they figure if they are owned by Kroger than everyone else should be too.
Wow! Nine years seniority and not working Saturdays. I wouldn't be complaining to much or it might get worse. I am a Full-time, thirty one year APC clerk that would love to get choices...I take what eight hour shifts are there. That usually dictates working Saturdays and shifts till 8,9, and sometimes 11 at night. While carry-outs check the whole day. Tell me how the loyalty plays in???
Union rep came in and made my manager look like a fool. Actually, he made himself look like a fool and the Union rep just backed me up when I asked him the same questions as the previous night. The stuff he was saying was making my rep laugh. He acted like he didn't know anything that was going on, that he didn't know my availability, have one of 3 copies I had turned in, or just that I had obviously talked with him multiple times about the matter in person. Finally, he did a complete 180 and started saying "well it seems logical to schedule by seniority", as if he was educating us on the matter. Yeah, remember when I said that lthe last 20 times? According to the union rep, everyone is allowed a prefered day off, they just can not gaurentee it if for some reason there is nobody else to cover the shifts. He also thought I should be getting paid a premium if they expect me to be scheduled like one of the leads.
Thanks again for the help guys.
To the last guy. Yeah, I work those late shifts and they don't bother me at all. I figure it's a fair trade to work literally any other shift besides a Saturday. Like I said, there are a lot of people that get Saturdays, Sundays or both off. At 30 years, I'd assume you would have some leverage, but obviosuly every situation is different. Maybe you're just a more easy going person, but I'm not going to let Kroger completely mess up my life.
I am basically going through the same thing but I an non union would you have any advice on how i can get my situation corrected?
thanks
pray that the kroger gods will give you what you want or change in management. you are on your own and yes the union has to represent you but they can put you off indefinately until the problems of the members are taken cre of before the wealfare scabs that want to suck off of the work and blod of the dues paying members
if you have had the same days off for the past 30 days then you have a regular scheduled day off check with you union office and they will help you do not talk to your union steward they are on the side of management
Don't say stewards are on the side of management. You'll give people the wrong idea. Just because that has been your experience, it's not true everywhere, and as a steward I would NEVER say I'm on management's side, even if they are right about something.
