1. Ask. Be polite of course, but make it clear that you'd like a cashiering position. Otherwise they might assume you're content being a bagger.

2. Might depend on your contract. At our store, baggers don't get any raises ever, gotta be a cashier or higher.

Alright. In my store we get two raises, five cents every six months for the first year. Nothing after that ever.
Generally if you are a good bagger they may resist moving you to cashier. I have seen a lot of crappy baggers "promoted" just to keep them from slowing down the front end.
Also, in my contract, seniority as a bagger does not transfer to any other department for any purpose. It may be like you are a new hire again. Most likely you will lose money if you become a cashier because you will almost certainly lose a lot of hours. I have been getting 30-40 for a long time now, while some of the cashiers hired in with me are still only getting 10-20 hours a week.

Yeah, people are *******s to baggers. Comes with the job. They assume we are mentally retarded, but lets be honest, the odds are higher for us to be mentally disabled or otherwise morons than it is for any other clerk in the store. It is not an unfounded thought. Half of my team seems to be medically disabled and the other half are kids who don't do much any of their work, and it can be more frustrating dealing with them than the customers who assume I am like that. If I weren't me, I would assume I was an idiot too.

As for the co-workers. They can stuff it. Report them to your Front End Manager or management if they are REALLY being a problem. Generally the guys who are jackasses to baggers are pretty bad workers, so you shouldn't have much trouble in dealing with that.

Rereading that, you did not join the union. Depending on your contract you might get nothing ever, and have no leverage at all to get a promotion.

As always, you know more about your situation than anyone. Good luck.

Anonymous - OP wrote:

---

Thanks.  Guess i just have to build the courage/confidence to go upstairs and ask.

It does worry me about the hours though.  I get 30 now and I am pretty much sure I am getting more with all the younger baggers going back to school.

At six months, do they tell you that they are giving you 5 cents more per hour or does it just show up on your pay check one week?

---

 No Fear.  I have no suggestions for building your confidence except, the worse they could do is say no and tell you to go scrape and clean all the dogfood in the loading bay.  jk.

At our store, I would suggest asking the person that manages the cashiers.  They would know if the hours are available.  And then ask the store manager.   They might train you to be a back-up cashier for busy times during the day.  There is nothing to fear.  Either there are openings or there are not.    That part is beyond your control.  What you can control is your self presentation.  Be clean cut, be able to learn and have skills to run a register, speak well and clearly, use deodorant, don't talk like a sailor and dress well.

For the raise, go to this site.  http://www.kroger.com/Pages/Default018.aspx  This is the Kroger site where you can check your paycheck. 

Scroll down to bottom right, click Express HR.  Log in with your EID.  Click About Personal Profile.  The 4th section down will show you your next raise.  Usually takes effect a week after the date shown.