It doesnt make since how some managers in the delta division are so rude and un-inviting.They think they can be a smart mouther without any action being takin on them.Well guess what...you got another thing coming!!
here is what you are looking at. As long as a manager is getting the numbers that a district manager or higher up want, then they can get by with it. As long as there is no record of a rude manager on file, then they can continue doing it. Depending on what they are saying ( profanity, demeaning or personally offensive) it is not harassment unless you tell them it is offensive and insulting to you. If the rudeness is towards a customer then get the name and have the customer go to kroger.com and complain. If it is towards you then contact the Union( first) and file a complaint on harassment and unfair working conditions. Then follow up with HR and EEOC if the union does not seem to get anything done. If any management wants to talk to you then refuse until you have a union rep ("Weingarten Rights") present with you. Have had some of that from my currant and new manager and we have had the union ( local 540 and 1000) in there frequently and it has changes some and getting better. Try that to start with.
As a union steward, is it your job to protect lazy employees or is your motivation to protect people who are unfairly targeted? Because from what I've seen, the union steward's job is to hinder management from being able to do any type of write ups at all.
But maybe that's just my store. For example. I can't write up a person for not checking out of dates................ unless I write up every other person for the same thing.. over and over and over again. How the heck am I supposed to do that?
And p.s. with all the hard working people who are out of work right now... I find it highly offensive that I can't fire someone on the spot for saying "f__" in front of customer.. I can't fire someone when I ask them to do something and they say "why don't you come back here and do it yourself".
No, I have to make sure they do it THREE TIMES IN A ROW.. which could take 7 months or more.. and they have done so much customer damage it's insane.
That is why morale is so poor in stores.. because the union has are hands TIED. Co-managers get moved all over the place.. so we don't know the person has been written up 45 times before... because you can't write them up unless it's all within a certain time frame.
You wanna know why the old timers who are useless are still there? It's because by the time a co-manager get's close to getting all the write ups that are required, that co-manager is moved to another store................ and the new co-manager has no idea.
And the UNION EMPLOYEES KNOW THIS!
They know... by the time they get enough write'ups that co-manager will be re-assigned.. and they are free and clear.
Everytime I have tried to discipline associates (perishable long term people)... they know the drill and will throw you under the bus and ruin your career.
Heck they will say you are smoking crack behind the store...... anything to protect themselves.
Us, as managers.. have no protection at all from this stuff.
All they have to do is whisper anything................. then you are targeted.
-- Edited by notawhiner on Monday 9th of August 2010 11:09:22 PM
As a union steward, is it your job to protect lazy employees or is your motivation to protect people who are unfairly targeted? Because from what I've seen, the union steward's job is to hinder management from being able to do any type of write ups at all.
But maybe that's just my store. For example. I can't write up a person for not checking out of dates................ unless I write up every other person for the same thing.. over and over and over again. How the heck am I supposed to do that?
And p.s. with all the hard working people who are out of work right now... I find it highly offensive that I can't fire someone on the spot for saying "f__" in front of customer.. I can't fire someone when I ask them to do something and they say "why don't you come back here and do it yourself".
No, I have to make sure they do it THREE TIMES IN A ROW.. which could take 7 months or more.. and they have done so much customer damage it's insane.
That is why morale is so poor in stores.. because the union has are hands TIED. Co-managers get moved all over the place.. so we don't know the person has been written up 45 times before... because you can't write them up unless it's all within a certain time frame.
You wanna know why the old timers who are useless are still there? It's because by the time a co-manager get's close to getting all the write ups that are required, that co-manager is moved to another store................ and the new co-manager has no idea.
And the UNION EMPLOYEES KNOW THIS!
They know... by the time they get enough write'ups that co-manager will be re-assigned.. and they are free and clear.
Everytime I have tried to discipline associates (perishable long term people)... they know the drill and will throw you under the bus and ruin your career.
Heck they will say you are smoking crack behind the store...... anything to protect themselves.
Us, as managers.. have no protection at all from this stuff.
All they have to do is whisper anything................. then you are targeted.
-- Edited by notawhiner on Monday 9th of August 2010 11:09:22 PM
Now I do not know what area you are in but I will only be able to speak for what I know in the Dallas area of the SWKMA. I am a market manager and a shop steward too. It is not my job to protect the dumb ass lazy ones but to see that the contract and policies are enforced fairly and just. I am to know my contract and be knowledgeable of it and make sure it is followed completely. I am also to make sure that company policies are followed just and fairly with any of me members or others if I am knowledgeable of the situation.
As for if you was here or I there and I was to tell you to f%^$ off where customers could hear, then I am in violation of Company policy and can be terminated on the spot regardless. I have yet to see where our business agent was able to over turn a termination for profanity on a sales floor or customer area. You also have the insubordination issues and the one thing I and we have been told, by our union leaders, Is to do the tasks and grieve it later. Do not know about where you are at but insubordination to store management and up is termination. Here you would have to be looking at two issues. Contract violation(s) and insubordination towards management. I have always advised my crew and other members to do as we are told and grieve it later. The grievance process will set it straight . Only once went against that and it was a co manager telling me to re-wrap a package of meat a customer brought back and place it in the case to resell. I refused and was threatened with my job for insubordination. I Informed him of the company policy and immediately called HR and asked them if they wanted me to violate this and file a grievance? Issue was solved on the spot.
Now what I would suggest is that , as a co manager and sent to a new store, that you might want to take a look in some files or talk to the past co`s and see if there is any one that has several write-up on them. Big think I find with the Management staff, on write-up is the way they are done. Got a new manager that has been with the company for about 18 months. Have tried to explain that write-ups have to be item specific and he wants to lump each and everything as quality of work. I tried to explain to him that he is failing and will only cause himself problems down the road but he still has the old mentality of his past employer. Wal-Mart.
I have always had a good relationship with most any and all co`s and managers I have had over 20 years. In this area of north Dallas, the markets are so short handed that most of us that are long term and hard workers do not want any lazy ass people around any more that you would. Just want to make sure that the write-ups and documentation is done correctly and fairly.
And for the record too, There are a lot more other long term people here that will tell you that when asked to do something that you do it first, regardless and file the grievance later. My biggest complaint with management on this issue is this. Have many times a new employee is hired and has a 90 day probation period in our area. Does not take long for us to determine if they need to keep them ot terminate them. Most of the times, management does not listen to us and wants to keep them around because of over time issues. By the time the 90 days is over they want to get rid of them on the spot and ignore the proper channels.
But one thing you did say is true.You as a co manager or management really does not have any rights as opposed to the union employees that has what is known as fair and guaranteed treatment of basic rights under union contract and company policies. That does not mean that they have the right to violate policies , cuss one out, refuse subordinate orders and other things that would come up.
@grumpy1, at my store there is a lot that goes on against the contract but nothing ever gets done about it.
Schedule supposed to be up by 12 on Friday often not posted til 8 or 9 in the evening
less than 10 hours between shifts
and lots more.
Managment at my store doesn't really bother the employees so much anymore, we just do what we need to get done, settle problems as they come and move on. Now the meat department on the other hand, they always want to push back at management as if they are just out to get them. Meat workers at my store think that they don't have to do things just because it's "not in my contract". Case in point, tying bales, I know this is more of a grocery or dsd clerk job, but hey every department uses the baler but only 1 ties it. And if you ask someone from meat department they bring up their line 'not in my contract' then leave. It's attitudes like this that cause problems. I'm not aiming this at you grumpy1, but just saying that a lot of times it's the employees' overall attitude that causes problems. As someone mentioned earlier, when an employee is told to do something and replies with "you do it" they're just making things worse. All you have to do is....do your job and there shouldn't be problems.
Thank you again Grumpy for some very good advice. Upper management seems to be on this kick of .. just "positive reinforcement"... but I'm on the kick of............ if management lets the meat department do whatever they want, write their own schedules to suit them instead of customer needs... if Bakery people say to me.. "why don't you come back here and do it yourself"..........
Come on............ any other retail grocery store would just say.. GET OUT.. YOU'RE FIRED... I can't imagine talking back to my manager on any other job I've had in the past 25 years..... why do these people think they can do that.........?? Then I have to write them up so many times and document everything.. it's a nightmare.
I know these jobs in deli/bakery and not HIGH paying jobs... but if you swear at me or refuse to do what I ask you to do.. just ONE time.................. I want you out of my store. But my hands are tied........................
Unions.. sorry to say.. have no business in a grocery store. For god's sake.. you work in an air conditioned store it's not like you're digging ditches in the hot summer sun.
And management doesn't have any union to protect us............... we are thrown under the bus on a daily basis...............and could be fired for all sorts of things.So if your co-managers look stressed.. that's why.................... I have a family to support......... as a single Mom....... if I can't get my associates to perform............... I'll just be fired and they don't even have to have a reason.
