That is just how Kroger and union pay scales work.
You have to do your time to get the pay raises. You want to control your own wages, then become your own boss.
If you had experience when you were hired, you could have asked for experience pay. Lucky to get a quarter tho.
I too started at minimum wage. I also did not get 40 hours a week for the first few years. I am now at top pay with some ot as a night manager.
Let a few more of my crew quit and I would let you work 40 hours until the mangers hack the hours.
I had one person escape to another department the week before Thanksgiving. Left me very short handed with no replacements insight. I am still ticked off about it. He was actually worth a damn to keep around. He is on a different union contract and might actually get full time after only starting 6 months ago. It took me 8 years of hard labor to get full time.
What state are you in? The District Grocery Coordinator might be able to get you extra hours at other stores that are hurting for help. You have to be a hungry and a bad ass worker to pick up hours at different stores tho.
On the ESS where you can check you paystub it will have job steps to you next raise, these steps are weeks. On the same page it will give you your next pay rate.
Sadly Kroger works on a seniority scale, the more hours go to the high seniority. Leads before Full time, FT before Part time... so on. 2 PT's then whoever has been there longest wins.
I played this game in Produce fighting for full time.
Your first objective should be full time status, from there you have to be scheduled a minimum of like 36 hours, you'll get a raise also. Once FT try to get a Lead position anywhere, even a back up position is good.
I went from 16 hours a week in Produce to Full time bay bagging or cashiering even doing grocery... they'd call me in all the time, I'd come early or stay late just to get that push. I missed the first time but got Associate of the Month which burned bad... hey we like you just not enough to invest in you. I kept at it until I got Produce Leads back up, that got me to Full time status. The store did a little shuffle and since I'd 1+1 before being asked I was offered Lead Supervisor. In the span of 3 months I went from $8.30/hr to $10.15/hr and in 2 weeks I'll be $10.75/hr.
As much as it sucks, you will get there. Outlast your superiors and outshine those below you and you'll go far.
