I have been working at kroger in meat for almost a year now. Started out as a clerk, and now I have luckily learned how to cut according to krogers standards. I am now responsible for training new clerks (I am the most senior clerk) but now I am responsible for the 3rd cut of the day. We actually do a full 3rd cut. And typically I do half of the second cut(the largest cut of the day). Yet my pay has not changed or my title from Meat Clerk to Meat Cutter. I don't get what I have to do to get that hike. They used to always have a cutter scheduled to do the 3rd cut at 5pm but now they schedule me for it. I work an average of 40 hours a week but every 7 weeks roughly they cut my hours down to prevent turning me full time. As well, 7 our of 8 weeks I work 6 days per 7 day week. So I am getting no 6th day pay, even though I am typically well into overtime. I feel bamboozled. What should I do?
I am told I am one of the hardest workers in the store, I work my butt off, I am called a "go-getter". Also just started my manager relief training. So I would think there should even be a pay raise for that. I am paid 7.45 per hour. I can do all cuts and I am knowledgeable of the meat. I am more productive than any other worker in the shop. I just feel so used....problem is that I love my job and I live across the street. Yet I feel like I am being used.
you are. they do not want to pay anything more than they have to. best optionb is this. get your store director and market manager to try convincing your DM to promote you to a market assistant. If that does not work then look to your meat MR or directet and ask him about the posibility of transfering you to a store that can and will promote you. if they fail then you have two options left.
#1 stick it out and wait a number of years for your pay to increase
or
#2 look to your competition for a new job offer that will pay you what you should own.
It really depends on three things, if you have a union, a decent contract, and a manager willing to stick their neck out for you. In Mid-Atlantic and SouthWest, you had to be certified as a cutter to get the actual pay increase, other wise it comes down to just time. Really though, your best bet is to try for full time; if you have a union, figure out if it is 12 weeks or 8 weeks at 36 or 40 hours to get to full time. I would first talk with your store manager and tell them that you want to be full time, that you want a pay increase, and see what they say. If you need to just stay, especially now that we are in holiday season, if they write you up, call up union and complain that if they are going to write you up for OT, they have to write everyone else up for OT. If all else fails, let them know you are willing to find another place, but usually this is not that effective; every one, including management, is expendable.
It really depends on three things, if you have a union, a decent contract, and a manager willing to stick their neck out for you. In Mid-Atlantic and SouthWest, you had to be certified as a cutter to get the actual pay increase, other wise it comes down to just time. Really though, your best bet is to try for full time; if you have a union, figure out if it is 12 weeks or 8 weeks at 36 or 40 hours to get to full time. I would first talk with your store manager and tell them that you want to be full time, that you want a pay increase, and see what they say. If you need to just stay, especially now that we are in holiday season, if they write you up, call up union and complain that if they are going to write you up for OT, they have to write everyone else up for OT. If all else fails, let them know you are willing to find another place, but usually this is not that effective; every one, including management, is expendable.
You don't in the Southwest. Just gotta be decent at learning how to cut and hoping someone will promote you to assistant market manager.
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My Views and Opinions do not reflect that of the Kroger company. I'm an indivdual expressing my 1st amendment right.
They are doing certification now to become assistant market manager, as well as market assistant so you get that extra dollar; it just started right before Lonnie returned as the D10 MR. You can top out at the 12.25$, but to get the 13.35$, you have to do the CBTs and all the other paper work. It may, or may not last for long, but it seems to be the thing they are on a kick for at the moment.
I am starting the whole manager relief packet this week. I justhavent had time to do it before Thanksgiving. Also talk is that I will take over as Assistant Meat Manager here in the spring. I just got a whole lot to learn for that and very little time to do so since I am doing 2 peoples job rightnow it seems.
Actually it was Tahirh who was trying to get the market assistant training off the ground, but she failed horribly at it. I haven't taken any of the CBTs or anything to that degree, but I am just as knowledgeable as a market manager. In fact I usually help teach my market manager some things and he teaches me some things. Its a win win. I'm glad that Lonnie is back, he was transferred to D11 to clean up the mess she left in her rule.
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My Views and Opinions do not reflect that of the Kroger company. I'm an indivdual expressing my 1st amendment right.
That sounds like what is going on with our store, we are getting things proper after our last meat manager. great guy, just not very good at the job. most of us just think he didn't care. the new meat manager is awesome, very strict and kind of picky about stuff. but i like it that way, actually makes my job easier ultimately. Yesterday I was told I would become the second cutter, but no optimism in getting paid for it though. Kind of sucks but I am learning a lot. Mostly it is just getting a groove down now, even though there are sometimes special cuts that I don't know. But I am told that usually can take a good 10 years to learn all of them odd ones.
I was supposed to be on vacation this week but our new guy I was training quit, I just think he wasn't up to doing the work. I can get it, just wish he gave a notice instead of just not showing up for his shift the week of thanksgiving. So I am continuing my working 6 days a week, pulling 43 hours a week. I wouldn't mind it as much if I was making more than 7.45 . But I love my job!
O and I hear a lot of stores are having problems with their meat departments? Any gossip?
Like I said I am being trained for it now. All I have left is my 2 inventories. Which means I just have to wait for us to have 2 inventories now.
But I know I want to get the cutter certification, do they even do that now? And if not, how can I get a position as a Cutter. I already do the third cut, at our store the third cut is roughly the size of the second cut, minus the quantity of chuck usually cut. So I don't know what to think of that. Is there technically supposed to be a cutter scheduled for the 11-7:30? that is the shift I am working. I a responsible for the third cut.
So still have yet to be promoted to assistant Meat Manager. On mondays, our manager meating day I am always scheduled to do the second and third cut. As well typically another day of the week I do the second cut again. I always do the third cut as I am the mid shifted guy. I am expected the same level of performance as the First Cutter and the Assistand meat manager but still I am making a measily 7.45. Such rubbish. Still have my 2 inventories to do though in order to become Assistant meat manager, even though I have been told that that they are not totally required for the promotion, really it is just waiting on them to promote our Assistant meat manager, I just wish they would bump him up into his own store so I can take his job, even though I would hate him leaving our department being he is a good worker. I have been told now that I will possibly start doing the ordering in the near future, been trained on it, pretty simple. Just getting a swing of things to get it perfect when the order is done.
So now I am to be training next week with the store manager on Scheduling. My boss(Meat manager) didn't understand why I was being trained on this and neither do I.
So I am trained on everything, have complete packet done. I have more trained on now than the Assistant meat manager for Meat manager.
The meat manager is unhappy with his work and so is our corporate meat person and the store manager now, he just can't seem to get his head into the game. Poor guy.
But now I have been told by our co manager that there is talk of a person from Avon coming to our store who has more seniority than me, and is the assistant meat manager at his current store. Supposedly he said he would take a possission drop to transfer closer to his home. But my fear is what will happen with me and why not move him to the store a quarter mile away from us who is in need of an assistant meat manager and why not if unhappy with our current assistant, move him to the other store and take this guy as his. But I have also been told his transfer may be to the other store and our assistant be moved and I take his place
I am just annoyed by how much they drag themselves. Why do they take so long to get anything done? I know there is otherstuff involved, but how hard is it to just do something and deal with the outcome as it comes.
Be the boss and just do it already! And being I am told I am ready for the promotion, if I am being lyed to...just shove it and tell me the truth. I don't need sugar coating. Just tell me as it is and get it over with and not tell us crap if it doesnt seem to matter anyways.
I've seen the same thing happen that you are going through. Kroger is just a waiting game. You may not want the other guy to come over to your store because if he is classified as a cutter you will never become one, as a store can have too many cutters. You best bet if you don't want to wait so long is ask your district meat cordinator if there is any cutting positions or meat manager openings coming soon.
I rarely ever see Bill to discuss such things. My Meat manager keeps telling me I will end up taking our assistant meat managers job. I am just tired of making 7.45 and doing his job. I love my job, I love my store and I love my department. I do not want to leave and go to Marsh, they are a mess there. Meijers Meat department is the exact same as us(same supplier and same cuts and everything) but I hear they pay even worse and cut even less than us.
And the Avon guy now I have been told is not coming to our store now. And the position at the nearest kroger to us for assistant has not yet been filled. So...I just don't get it! Thanks for not giving me a runaround answer.
This is outrageous. Where is your Union representation Why is Krogers paying a poverty wage for a skilled job?
Do you realize this thread is nearly two or three years old. How stupid can you be to post a response to someone who may not even still work for kroger.
This is outrageous. Where is your Union representation Why is Krogers paying a poverty wage for a skilled job?
The term skilled job in reference to meat cutting always pisses me off. What makes that job any more skilled than let's say cake decorating. The meat department just had better union representation, although I believe most new contracts are now doing away with meat cutter pay. Meat cutters have been over payed when compared to others in the store for long enough. There are plenty of employees that work harder. And just try to get a meat department employee to tie a bale. That is way beneath them. Of course most all departments think only grocery should tie bales.
Cutting meat, training newbies, and doing a full 3rd cut for $7.45 an hour? I'd question Kroger's wisdom in screwing over an employee with access to large knives. And I mean that.
This is outrageous. Where is your Union representation Why is Krogers paying a poverty wage for a skilled job?
The term skilled job in reference to meat cutting always pisses me off. What makes that job any more skilled than let's say cake decorating. The meat department just had better union representation, although I believe most new contracts are now doing away with meat cutter pay. Meat cutters have been over payed when compared to others in the store for long enough. There are plenty of employees that work harder. And just try to get a meat department employee to tie a bale. That is way beneath them. Of course most all departments think only grocery should tie bales.
you are confused that's why just like most people are confused with Butcher and meat cutter. people in the cutting trade used to have to go to school for 2 years. any dummy can decorate a cake or sit at a check stand but what would you do if someone gave you meat to cut. you wouldn't even know what the meat was let alone how to cut it. making a bale is not beneath them my child it's the fact that they would rather pay a dummy like you 7 dollars to make a bale instead of a meat cutter who is being paid way more and running one of the most important departments in the store. without out a meat cutter and a meat dept half your stores wouldn't be around Bakery used to get paid decent too till they started getting people like you in their departments.
Bull****. Cake decorating is an art. Anyone can slap a border on it yes, but not everyone can freehand draw on a cake, or make it look nice.
And no offense but Meat cutting isn't "necessary" to the store, after all Walmart doesn't even HAVE a meat counter and people still shop there. No one department makes the store so calm down.
Bull****. Cake decorating is an art. Anyone can slap a border on it yes, but not everyone can freehand draw on a cake, or make it look nice.
And no offense but Meat cutting isn't "necessary" to the store, after all Walmart doesn't even HAVE a meat counter and people still shop there. No one department makes the store so calm down.
