I belive in holding the union responsible for the contracts so this is one of my actions. What are any of you doing. Also open for sugessions on who to file the complaint with over both sides. Kroger and the union.
I am sending this letter as a complaint to the violation of out contract by both sides,The Kroger Company ( swkma) and UFCW Local 540. Now I am not sure how to process this complaint but rest assured I will find a way. As I remember , several times, Mr Rodriguez was stated that language is one of the most important items you can get in a contract. I do believe that to be true but then what good is having language if it is never used? Now this is not new language that came in this contract. It is from a past contract that it was evolved. That treee year contract past and this language sat ignored by both sides. This past contract, several of us brought it up and Kroger had named three people for its side right there and then. We are now less than a year away from an expiration and there is no movement or even hint of this happening. Meanwhile conditions get worse as far at getting help and time to train anyone new. It is not hard to see that this is a failed agreement to just appease the members ( from both sides ) to let the status of this letter die a slow and lingering death, much like us market members are waiting for something to happen or relief from this madness.
Now what I would like to know is when anyone will get serious about this and start anything ?I have made several union meetings, since this contract came into effect, and brought it up each time. There is always a reason why it never comes to getting started. Hell Know one even knows if there is three members from our side even chose but we can be certain that there has been a change from the Kroger side as Mr Krell is no longer in the Market at the Kroger end. I , as a dues paying employee ( do not know if care if I am on a 540 list or censored ) if this will ever happen in our life time? Will it need to be re-negotiated in every contract ? Does this language need to just go away? Does it need to be forced ,by the members, to have both sides honor the language of the contract?
This is just some of the questions I have had along with a few others. Now I have caught a lot of flac by trying to help others get contact from there representatives in other locals. I even made a statement that I would probably leave the union if I was in the other local. But I have come to learn that one needs to stay strong by now wanting to leave but to hold their local and reps responsible for representation and holding up our contract. For me to believe in that I must find the answer to why we have left this language vacant for not 0ne or two hears but for almost 5 years or more? If the union truly believes that language is the main thing you can receive on a contract then why ignore an important part of it that we ( the market staff ) needs? It was to be a start to staffing the store but sadly has evolved into nothing more that the remains from the south end of a noth bound moose.
meat training program. A committee of (3) three consisting of Mike Krell or his designee, William Yelderman and Bill Sturm for the company and a committee of (3) three for local 540 will meet to discuss a new hire training program for associates that will be assigned to process meat. Such meeting will occur within ninety (90) days of November 20, 2010 of the labor agreement.
Once the committees have time to discuss and agree upon the contents and specific objectives, the training program will be implemented during the life of this agreement.
