One of our Co managers announced that over the intercom today around 6PM. I've never heard that before. I work in meat and seafood and we were slammed, so none of us (3 of us back there) went up to help bag, after all, that's what the courtesy clerks are hired to do, and front end already took about 5 hours from our dept this week.
I looked up at the Q-Vision TV, and the middle number (I think that's the current needed?) said 6.
The co-manager never said anything to us, but can we get written up for not coming up?
Also how do they expect people from dairy or something, who only have ONE person at that time, stop what they are doing and bag for 30 mins?
No, because nobody specific was called. If he tries to write anyone up, union can easily get that thrown out. First rule of managing anything: you direct people specifically, else group mentality sets in and nobody does anything. Now, if he had said, "one person from meat department" then whoever was in charge of meat at the time would be responsible for sending one of their people up there.
My bet is, the co just did that to try and get as many people as he could up there without going through a list of names. I highly doubt they'll do anything about it.
When I worked in dairy for a brief stint years ago and calls like that were made I never went up there unless I was specifically called by name. I was the only one in the department and I couldn't just leave perishables out for an undetermined amount of time.
Meat, deli, and bakery should never be called up to bag. Floral, GM, grocery, dairy, frozen, nutrition and produce can provide relief, but meat, deli, and bakery cannot. Why? Because you can stock Froot Loops at any time, but custom cut meat or a special designed cake has to be done within a certain time frame before the customers get mad and say nevermind.
One of our Co managers announced that over the intercom today around 6PM. I've never heard that before. I work in meat and seafood and we were slammed, so none of us (3 of us back there) went up to help bag, after all, that's what the courtesy clerks are hired to do, and front end already took about 5 hours from our dept this week.
I looked up at the Q-Vision TV, and the middle number (I think that's the current needed?) said 6.
The co-manager never said anything to us, but can we get written up for not coming up?
Also how do they expect people from dairy or something, who only have ONE person at that time, stop what they are doing and bag for 30 mins?
One of our Front End Supervisors / Floor Supervisors always panics and calls for assistance. It's either "I need all courtesy clerks to the front" (no matter what we're doing, besides being on break) or he uses the radio to call drug-GM, Floral, Produce to bag. Sometimes we get a person from Dairy because he's cross-trained.
No, because nobody specific was called. If he tries to write anyone up, union can easily get that thrown out. First rule of managing anything: you direct people specifically, else group mentality sets in and nobody does anything. Now, if he had said, "one person from meat department" then whoever was in charge of meat at the time would be responsible for sending one of their people up there.
My bet is, the co just did that to try and get as many people as he could up there without going through a list of names. I highly doubt they'll do anything about it.
When I worked in dairy for a brief stint years ago and calls like that were made I never went up there unless I was specifically called by name. I was the only one in the department and I couldn't just leave perishables out for an undetermined amount of time.
At times i will hear, " All available associates come to the front for customer assistance." Most of the time its just me working alone so if I hear that i dont go up there. If they call me by name then i go. As delta said at times you have alot of product to take care of.
Meat, deli, and bakery should never be called up to bag. Floral, GM, grocery, dairy, frozen, nutrition and produce can provide relief, but meat, deli, and bakery cannot. Why? Because you can stock Froot Loops at any time, but custom cut meat or a special designed cake has to be done within a certain time frame before the customers get mad and say nevermind.
I remember one time where someone came to the deli and asked if any of us were trained on front end because they needed a cashier. It was me and another woman. I was still new, and she'd been there for 2 years, but neither of us were trained on front end.
I was told that I'd be trained on front end when I was hired in. Still waiting on that; everyone under me has been on the registers at least once. Not that I'd like to be on FE, but it'd be a relief from cutting lunch meat for an ungrateful customer.
in my store in local 400 everyone is in the same union (except pharmacy, i believe?)
I, also, hear "we need all available associates to help on the front please" quite a lot. Some people come up and some don't depending on what they are doing at the time. if you aren't assisting a customer at the time is an important factor in if you will be able to get there or not.
-- Edited by BagBoy on Wednesday 26th of November 2014 12:33:07 PM
__________________
Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
No we aren't, we're UFCW members. Meat dept. isn't.
Yes, while it is true we're all UCFW members there are different locals throughout the US & Canada. In my particular area we have local 1000 and local 540. We have set through jurisdictions that our union covers under the meat department extending over the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Local 1000 members aren't permitted by management to work in our department. We have contracts set forth that defines our wages along with our benefits therefore local 540 is not allowed to work in other departments as well. The most we can do mutually is make bales, but that's it. No cleaning, stocking, etc even for winning in each store.
__________________
My Views and Opinions do not reflect that of the Kroger company. I'm an indivdual expressing my 1st amendment right.
No we aren't, we're UFCW members. Meat dept. isn't.
Yes, while it is true we're all UCFW members there are different locals throughout the US & Canada. In my particular area we have local 1000 and local 540. We have set through jurisdictions that our union covers under the meat department extending over the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Local 1000 members aren't permitted by management to work in our department. We have contracts set forth that defines our wages along with our benefits therefore local 540 is not allowed to work in other departments as well. The most we can do mutually is make bales, but that's it. No cleaning, stocking, etc even for winning in each store.
That's a pretty sweet setup you got there.
__________________
Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
Well honestly it wouldn't make no sense to have a $13.75 / hr meat clerk to go get sack groceries and get carts.
Our store manager sacks groceries and occasionally gets carts. I guess that's a little below his pay scale.
Ha!
Our Front End "Manager", the total bi-tc-h I have written about many times, I have been there nearly ten months, not ONCE have I ever seen her go out and get carts, EVER. Closest has been pushing carts from inside the store into the lobby to reach the rest of the carts. Maybe she feels she is too important, or it's not her job since she is not a "courtesy clerk", I don't know. At least the a-hole who used to be her Partner In Crime before he transferred to another store once went out and pulled carts. I actually witnessed that time. But I have NEVER seen her do it. Come to think of it I haven't seen our store manager do it either, but I am not going to rag on him for it right now because at least he was standing in the register next to me last week bagging groceries for about 15 minutes when we were busy with a rush. Which is usually always.
As a bagger myself, I can think of why more departments are called up:
1) When we get busy (surges) a few departments (utility, deli, grocery) are called up to help. I really appreciate extra help - takes some stress out of my job.
2) We're either low or out of baskets! Usually the CSM or FES wants us to "double (or triple) up" on lot duty!
In the division I work at, everyone is part of the same union except Meat & Seafood.
