I was reading up on the wage increases in my union hand book and I see that after you hit 12.20 as a grocery clerk the next increase is 13.95 starting in june. but it doesn't give a time frame as to how long that jump takes, it just says there after. What exactly does that mean?
Usually that means your next "step" (however long your steps are, they are usually of equal length of months or hours worked) will get you that rate, and then you are a "Journeyman". You wont get any further raises after that, unless your contract gets renegotiated and that rate increases, or with what they've done in recent contracts, you'll get some sort of "bonus" of 25 cents an hour for all hours worked that year, without getting a raise in your actual rate.
See what I'm confused about is that the contract states on all of the other wage increases on the previous steps says it takes 1000 hours per raise, however the jump from 12.20 to 13.95 gives no time frame on the amount of hours it will take! It only says thereafter, so when exactly will I be topped out after getting to 12.20? Will it be another 1000 hours or will it be instantly?
Should be another 1000 hours then you'd top out. Your contract could have some weird clauses in it though, maybe there are only X number of allowed "Journeyman" per store or whatever, so there could be some sort of special circumstance to consider. Never had that in any of our contracts out here (UFCW 555, Oregon), it'd go like this :
Really old, only contract I could find online for UFCW 555 that has a wage scale in it. It does put "Journeyman" in a separate category without saying how long it takes to get there. But I remember I had an employee who had reached the last step, and asked that question. I got a hold of our union rep and I clearly remember her saying that your next regular step would put you at Journeyman status and at that pay rate listed.
Other advantage of being a journeyman is that its transferable to other employers and UFCW locals, if your records show you have a zillion hours (i'd always shake my head when I'd look at my hours worked in HRexpress...i was over like 11,000!) they can look that up and pursuant to any "prior experience" clauses get you the highest pay rate.
I havent worked at Kroger for a year, but im moving back to Atlanta (hometown) and Krogers are everywhere, so I may be again! Definitely going to try to get a job at Publix or Whole Foods or The Fresh Market instead, but hey gotta pay the bills! Wish I could find a copy of the Atlanta local's contract!
