Posted on 03/13/2019 12:38:44 PM PDT by matt04
The union local representing about 1,300 Western Massachusetts Stop & Shop workers will host a rally next week in hopes of spurring negotiations for a new contract.
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Five New England UFCW Locals representing over 30,000 Stop & Shop workers have been without a contract since late February. All five locals have voted to authorize a strike.
UFCW says Stop & Shop has proposed a bad deal for workers that would cut current benefits, including health and welfare and pension plans, replace Sunday time-and-a-half pay with a smaller wage premium, and cut paid holidays, vacations and sick days for new hires. The union says the company has proposed bonuses in lieu of cost-of-living wage increases.
Stop & Shop management said it wants a deal that will allow it to grow its business in a competitive environment. Stop & Shop is the only large fully unionized food retailer left in New England. Company officials say it must have a deal that allows it to compete with nonunion employers like Big Y, Market Basket, Walmart, Whole Foods/Amazon, Costco and Aldi.
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Stop & Shop says it is committed to reaching a new agreement. Contracts between Stop & Shop and its unions typically run three years.
The Union says Stop & Shop hurts customers by reducing staff at its stores and introducing technologies like self-service scanners and a roving robot called “Marty” that monitors stores activity and cleanliness.
(Excerpt) Read more at masslive.com ...
Gee, I wonder why they are introducing more self-scans and automation.
https://stopandshop.com/site/47/0/0/21/a559d480-cf94-42ca-9bb3-89cd95406000.pdf
I have one near me. They do this, I am going to the other supermarket in town, no questions asked.
I am not paying my money for union crap.
A Caravan or two will supply a lot of workers.
One reason Pittsburgh has always been a relatively expensive place to buy groceries is that Giant Eagle had pretty much of a monopoly until recently. This is because union nonsense managed to drive all of the other chains out of town. After Kroger left in ‘85 they had the market pretty much to themselves until the fairly recent arrivals of Super Walmart, Aldi, etc.
I can’t imagine Stop & Shop strikers will enjoy nearly the popular support that Market Basket personnel did when they walked several years ago.
"Stop 'n Rob"
Got one down the street....never use them. I go to Market Basket & Aldis.
The national average NET PROFIT ($$$ they get to keep after all costs and taxes) in the supermarket industry is between $0.015 (1 1/2 cents) and $0.030 (3 cents) per dollar of revenue. That average has barely changed at all since the 1960s.
The ONLY thing the unions can achieve is to force more automation and more closures in the industry. And now that Amazon is moving into the business and is likely trying to push that net margin down even further, tt will squeeze the industry, likely produce more unionizing (in response to further cuts), and then squeeze the industry further, between the unions on one side and Amazon on the other.
I agree completely. I have been going to Stop & Shop for decades, but if they start picketing or prices go up or service goes down, I am out of there.
I have choices.
Huh...I didn’t know that. (Of course, not being from Pittsburgh, how the heck could I???)
Here in Indiana the unionized Kroger peeps seem to typically have a bad attitude that is not present in Meijer, Aldi, or Costco.
I used to have a neighbor who was a unionized grocery employee back in the early 70’s. He had an unbelievably sweet deal. In today’s dollars he was probably making $70-80K. That was not sustainable, and when the unions dug in a lot of chains picked-up and moved out.
Yep. They will demand more benefits, wages, and rules which will actually decrease staffing, services, etc. and then wonder why union stores close or cut back on service.
I was reading some comments by these union employees, they really believe only a Union employee is capable to stock shelves, etc. They also seem believe the ONLY real reason people stop at S&S is because of the Union employees and dismiss places like WM, Aldi, Target and other local competitors as a non issue as they beleive people don’t really shop there.
I stopped by my local S&S today and found a bunch a unhappy employees whining how unfair everything is. Once actually asked me to contact corporate and refuse to shot their until they agree to the workers demands. They are literally asking people to shop at their competitors whine negotiating. I told them I would respect their wish, reminded them my shopping there pays their salary and wished them luck in find a new job as you chase off all your customers.
Here in suburbs (NY & NJ) of metro NYC, we have the Shop Rite named stores. I know how thin the revenue margins are in that industry.
Yet, one of the things it is amazing to me to see is that every Shop Rite store I go to is “flooded” with employees, and they do not have self-check-out stations, and they have employees just to bag your stuff. But each one is separately privately owned (some owners own a few Shop Rite stores), and the name Shop Rite actually comes from the buying cooperative all the independent Shop Right stores are co-owners of. I think one thing they do is treat their employees well.
I worked as a stocker years ago at Kroger.
Was one of the weirdest jobs I ever had.
People regularly missed work.
One guy took naps in the isles.
Then we would have meetings in the morning telling us not to do this or that.
They didn’t actually tell the individual not to do this or that.
Union=can’t be fired.
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