Becoming a Union steward in my store

[deev]

Any time you need to ask "Why do they do that?", you already know the answer.

Money.

It's always about the money. We want what's ours, you don't want to give it to us. Simple. You think sucking dicks to climb the corporate ladder is the only legitimate way to get yours. I disagree, I think the working people in this country are getting swindled, and the vast majority of them should be making enough to own a house, a car, and pay medical bills.

Your vision for this country is one in which only a very small percentage of people should even be allowed to make enough money to stay afloat. I think your country sucks donkey-balls, and isn't qualified to carry industrial-age America's jock strap.

That's third world shit, not a great prosperous country.

Erm, I'm from the UK. What's a "medical bill"? I dont even have to pay for prescription and my upcoming ACL reconstruction will be costing me nothing.

 

[deev]

Ok, so you're retreating from "hard work moves you up the ladder" and not addressing my request to present another model explaining the collapse of wages.

A few posts ago you were claiming you paid your workers, but now we see the model that the State Department will do your compensation for you in the form of H1B's or green cards or whatever.

A little prodding gets to the truth.

I'm not from the US.

 

[ABACA]

I worked in a grocery store from the ages of 16-23. I started in high school, worked through college and then part time at night while working a full time job as well.

We were union... and to honest, I wish we weren't. I paid all that fucking money into the UFCW and for what? They never did anything to make our lives any better.. we couldn't strike if we wanted to.. that was written into our contract. Who fuck concedes that?

Over the seven years I was there I watched each contract that passed take away more and more benefits... no more time and half on Sunday... lower pay caps.. less vacation time for part timers, etc. Luckily I was grandfathered in before a lot of that shit took place.

As far as the old timers.. they never tried pushing any one out because of their time there and their pay. They only got rid of people because they were shitty workers. Honestly, I deserved to get fired 50 times over and it didn't happen. They revered most of the old timers.

Wildcat.

If your union says you can't strike, your union is just another racket.

 

[saugeye killah]

Erm, I'm from the UK. What's a "medical bill"? I dont even have to pay for prescription and my upcoming ACL reconstruction will be costing me nothing.

It's pretty clear that the discussion we're having is in regards to labor conditions in the United States. Yes, I noticed your location as being Scotland, and I assumed you were going to say you were British after your use of the word "Bollocks".

Don't care. You know what we're talking about.

Come over to America where people with your ideas have their policies in place, and that ACL surgery will put your ass on the street.

 

[Kevin Rudd]

Erm, I'm from the UK. What's a "medical bill"? I dont even have to pay for prescription and my upcoming ACL reconstruction will be costing me nothing.

You familiar with the concept of taxation?

Your ACL re-construction isn't free. This is demonstrated by the fact that your gross pay and net pay are different.

 

[jax7]

You obviously didn't read my post about the importance of workers, I don't hate minimum wage earners either, I hate the ones who think they deserve their pay despite not working as hard as the next guy. Incidentally I'm not above cleaning the toilets myself if they need it.

Oh I read it, and you had contempt for minimum wage workers. I'm not sure why your pissed at a guy who has worked many years for a company who only wants to support his fellow workers. The same workers who contribute the most to profits.

Do you really think your that more important to a companies success? You might clean the toilets, and I'm sure upper management loves it. that way they don't have to pay a someone else to do it. All the while you think your going to get that promotion cause your a hard working team player. meanwhile they laugh their asses off at you and let you rot in your shitty position. They also don't have to pay a person looking for a start in your company to do it.

 

[deev]

You familiar with the concept of taxation?

Your ACL re-construction isn't free. This is demonstrated by the fact that your gross pay and net pay are different.

It's national insurance actually, tax is different although they are merging the 2 shortly. Anyways, my salary deductions arent markedly different to what they'd be in the US.

 

[jax7]

It's national insurance actually, tax is different although they are merging the 2 shortly. Anyways, my salary deductions arent markedly different to what they'd be in the US.

do you believe this medical care is a right you deserve?

 

[deev]

Oh I read it, and you had contempt for minimum wage workers. I'm not sure why your pissed at a guy who has worked many years for a company who only wants to support his fellow workers. The same workers who contribute the most to profits.

Do you really think your that more important to a companies success? You might clean the toilets, and I'm sure upper management loves it. that way they don't have to pay a someone else to do it. All the while you think your going to get that promotion cause your a hard working team player. meanwhile they laugh their asses off at you and let you rot in your shitty position. They also don't have to pay a person looking for a start in your company to do it.

I got promoted last year. My company promotes from within, it's why I joined them instead of staying where I was in a company that rarely did that and bitching about it.

 

[jax7]

I got promoted last year. My company promotes from within, it's why I joined them instead of staying where I was in a company that rarely did that and bitching about it.

I don't think he bitched about promotion. He complained about the company trying to force out seniority employees because of their higher wages and benefits through questionable means. The man understands his place in the machine. He just wants proper representation and protections.

You didnt answer my question. Why do you deserve your free medical care?

 

[deev]

do you believe this medical care is a right you deserve?

Actually no. I am grateful the NHS exists though.

 

[elmo_1968]

I'm not from the US.

Then I don't know the mechanics of "getting a Polish person" in your country. Here an H1B visa allows a foreigner to work here in a field where there is a shortage of that skill. Of course if your company gives a lot of money to the current administration, they tend to decide there is a shortage of the skill you want to hire and issue visas so you don't have to pay wages US citizens would hold out for.

Some of the lower end jobs were getting green cards issued to get foreigners in so they wouldn't have to pay citizens, but it was revealed that most of the people who got in subsequently left those jobs and worked elsewhere illegally.

In both cases it is the govt. subsidizing big businesses and calling it capitalism. It may or may not apply in your country.

You don't seem very anxious to offer an alternative explanation for the collapse of wages.

 

[TeTe]

That's a great point you bring up. Why are companies like Safeway and Albertson's failing?

Because companies that aren't unionized like Walmart can put the screws to them by saving billions on labor and hiring people who don't have a strong union negotiating on their behalf.

So guess what's gonna happen when unions go away and labor rights become even more deregulated? That's right, somebody who can pay people EVEN LESS THAN WALMART is going to come along and put THEIR ASSES out of business.

So if you like that idea, than yes, by all means get rid of the unions.

I don't know that this is necessarily true. Trader Joe's and Aldi's ownership does well without unions shops, but they do go out of their way to pay their employees better and still maintain a good business model.

 

[elmo_1968]

You are one of these people who thinks companies exist to pay you money. They dont. They exist to make money for themselves/shareholders.

And your bosses think the govt. exists to make them as rich as possible. It doesn't, it exists to give people a reason to buy into the system as opposed to every man for himself.

 

[OldGoat]

Lol at those who think putting cans of corn on the shelf or super sizing a value meal at Burger World is meant to be a lucrative lifelong career.

 

[OldGoat]

Erm, I'm from the UK. What's a "medical bill"? I dont even have to pay for prescription and my upcoming ACL reconstruction will be costing me nothing.

So you don't pay taxes? How much is a liter of orange juice in your so-called country?

 

[OldGoat]

WOW! A 5k payraise. Your very important. Even when adjusted to dollars I made more than that on my profit sharing check alone this year, and I'm a union hourly worker in a union only shop. My annual earnings this were probably way more than yours also.

You fail to recognize that the ONLY way a company makes money is with workers. No matter what level they are on. Without labor there is no profit therefore they are deserving of a fair wage for their contribution. Your obvious hatred of minumum wage earners just exposes you for what you are. A middle management stooge who cant go any further, who realizes they aren't any more important than his skilled hourly workers. You now realize you have wasted your life sucking off the man only to be relegated to a stooge job, which serves no more importance than the kid who stocks the shelves or cleans the toilets.

So why don't you go look in the mirror and face your own failings, not pick on the guy who has balls enough to stand demand fair wages, benefits, safe working conditions, and proper discipline procedures with representation. which they deserve for their contribution to a company's success.

So much anger and a potty mouth to boot. With regards to the "worth" of your labor it's only value is what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

[TeTe]

So you don't pay taxes? How much is a liter of orange juice in your so-called country?

No such thing as a free lunch of course.

In the Mayberry, Nonsense said something along the lines of "I'm not worried about what happens, my health care is covered."

Which is funny for a Canadian to say as if their taxes aren't substantially more to cover it. I pay $110 a month for my health insurance, which I'm willing to bet is less than what my monthly tax liability would be to pay for single payer health insurance up there.

 

[Ring Shark98]

So what was he trying to write you up for?

Also, leave that off of your resume when you move on. That can be an automatic rejection.

 

[ben236]

No such thing as a free lunch of course.

In the Mayberry, Nonsense said something along the lines of "I'm not worried about what happens, my health care is covered."

Which is funny for a Canadian to say as if their taxes aren't substantially more to cover it. I pay $110 a month for my health insurance, which I'm willing to bet is less than what my monthly tax liability would be to pay for single payer health insurance up there.

Actually, you pay more for healthcare than Canadians do in taxes alone. And that's not even including private spending.