Kroger Co. basically runs the union

Date: May 27, 2017

Kroger Co. basically runs the union

Date: May 27, 2017

I agree that I have felt like in the last few years that the union is in Kroger pocket. I have thirty years with Kroger and awhile back I had trouble with a woman manager who was satin. She accused me of not doing my job she suspended me like three times I went through hell with this manager and the last time I did not think I was going to get my job back. Every time I tried to call the union rep he would not call me back. if I did hear from him I felt like he did not believe me on anything I said.. it got so bad that I went and saw a lawyer and this lawyer told me that this was the trend with companies trying to get rid of long time employees. They would try every trick in the book to get rid of you. My last grievance was a doozy I felt like that if did not sign a paper that I was in the wrong the union would not get my job back. I was so confused I was not that far from retirement but I felt like my own union was screwing me. I got told that if I got suspended again the union would not help me. I have been working On pins and needles these last few years wondering when this crazy manager would go off the deep end and get me fired again. The only good thing that happened was that this manager got promoted to corporate and it is a little bit better now to work with new managers though I still do not trust management or my own union. The union would not get me my back pay from being suspended. I still say you need a union but my union needs to be cleaned out and Start fresh. There has been quite a few Kroger employees that has been screwed by the union. My old union officials retired last year and the people that worked with them took over the union but the jury is still out if they will be for us workers. I am hoping to retire next year because I am so done with Kroger they are not like when I started with them almost 31 years ago.

myopinion · Senior Member

I wish that Kroger ran the union. If they did, we wouldn't have so many lazy coworkers. We have so many employees that use the union as a threat, when they don't want to do their job. They stand around talking, going from department to department, leave things unsanitary, cross contaminate, and mark things wrong. Then they threaten with the union as soon as they are told about it.

-- Edited by myopinion on Sunday 28th of May 2017 10:14:23 AM

Date: May 28, 2017

I thought this was common knowledge. The union is practically useless and takes jobs and benefits away all the time from new hires. That's why the union will be dead once all the old people retire because the union is going to be useless for the next generation who will never see any of the benefits the boomers got to take advantage of.

Date: May 28, 2017

I've worked with so many long time employees over the past six years and they all pretty much say what you've said here, TC. The union contracts get worse and worse as time goes on while both Kroger and the union itself get richer and richer while the employees struggle with low wages, cut hours, shrinking insurance coverage/protection and less paid personal time off. Why be a part of and pay a union that doesn't represent its union members? I've worked with a couple union stewards over the years and they've all told me they either get no support from the local union branch or they get the constant runaround. This is why it's so hard to get anyone to agree to be a union steward at Kroger... I knew one union steward that not only quit being the steward but also quit Kroger because she couldn't handle the emotional stress of being powerless while management steamrolled employee after employee.

June 3rd is when the current UFCW Local 1000 contract expires and I expect to be disappointed. The union is supposedly fighting to raise the starting pay from $7.55 an hour (pathetic... Walmart is at $10.00+ now, and everyone else in the area, including freaking McDonald's, is at least $9.00+ an hour or better) to $9.25 an hour... but I wouldn't be surprised if Kroger and the union work out some form of backroom deal that again enriches them while screwing the employees, that, you know, make them all that money. And if by some chance the union does get the starting pay up to $9.25 an hour, those of us that have been with Kroger for three, four or more years better get compensated appropriately for our years of service on the new pay scale.

Date: May 30, 2017

myopinion wrote:
I wish that Kroger ran the union. If they did, we wouldn't have so many lazy coworkers. We have so many employees that use the union as a threat, when they don't want to do their job. They stand around talking, going from department to department, leave things unsanitary, cross contaminate, and mark things wrong. Then they threaten with the union as soon as they are told about it.

-- Edited by myopinion on Sunday 28th of May 2017 10:14:23 AM

Well it does, so congratulations lol. You sound like one of the people I described, probably could even be my boss ironically. You people always make double or even more than what everyone does in the store but you expect us to put out 60 cases of **** an hour plus clean AND help customers, plus value this job like it pays us the same it pays you. I could go work fast food for the same wage and all they expect is you show up and have a decent work ethic. Hell I'd be loved there lol. I'm no slacker, from the moment i punch in, to the moment i punch out, I give it my all and then some. But why should I give my all when I'm not valued, and when I can give less for the same money elsewhere? I know Kroger's owners have that mindset.

Date: May 30, 2017

Anonymous wrote:
I agree that I have felt like in the last few years that the union is in Kroger pocket. I have thirty years with Kroger and awhile back I had trouble with a woman manager who was satin. She accused me of not doing my job she suspended me like three times I went through hell with this manager and the last time I did not think I was going to get my job back. Every time I tried to call the union rep he would not call me back. if I did hear from him I felt like he did not believe me on anything I said.. it got so bad that I went and saw a lawyer and this lawyer told me that this was the trend with companies trying to get rid of long time employees. They would try every trick in the book to get rid of you. My last grievance was a doozy I felt like that if did not sign a paper that I was in the wrong the union would not get my job back. I was so confused I was not that far from retirement but I felt like my own union was screwing me. I got told that if I got suspended again the union would not help me. I have been working On pins and needles these last few years wondering when this crazy manager would go off the deep end and get me fired again. The only good thing that happened was that this manager got promoted to corporate and it is a little bit better now to work with new managers though I still do not trust management or my own union. The union would not get me my back pay from being suspended. I still say you need a union but my union needs to be cleaned out and Start fresh. There has been quite a few Kroger employees that has been screwed by the union. My old union officials retired last year and the people that worked with them took over the union but the jury is still out if they will be for us workers. I am hoping to retire next year because I am so done with Kroger they are not like when I started with them almost 31 years ago.

I'm sorry to hear that hun, I hope it all works out for you. It does sounds like they are trying to get rid of you. Give em hell until you do retire!

Date: May 30, 2017

Anonymous wrote:
I've worked with so many long time employees over the past six years and they all pretty much say what you've said here, TC. The union contracts get worse and worse as time goes on while both Kroger and the union itself get richer and richer while the employees struggle with low wages, cut hours, shrinking insurance coverage/protection and less paid personal time off. Why be a part of and pay a union that doesn't represent its union members? I've worked with a couple union stewards over the years and they've all told me they either get no support from the local union branch or they get the constant runaround. This is why it's so hard to get anyone to agree to be a union steward at Kroger... I knew one union steward that not only quit being the steward but also quit Kroger because she couldn't handle the emotional stress of being powerless while management steamrolled employee after employee.
June 3rd is when the current UFCW Local 1000 contract expires and I expect to be disappointed. The union is supposedly fighting to raise the starting pay from $7.55 an hour (pathetic... Walmart is at $10.00+ now, and everyone else in the area, including freaking McDonald's, is at least $9.00+ an hour or better) to $9.25 an hour... but I wouldn't be surprised if Kroger and the union work out some form of backroom deal that again enriches them while screwing the employees, that, you know, make them all that money. And if by some chance the union does get the starting pay up to $9.25 an hour, those of us that have been with Kroger for three, four or more years better get compensated appropriately for our years of service on the new pay scale.

I always keep my mouth shut at work, I never discuss stuff like this with employees (plus i never have time too). So I wouldn't know that this was well known. I'm glad it is and I hope people become more aware so action is taken for the sake of the people currently being screwed.

There is indeed something shady going on, for all we know the mafia could be running things behind the scenes. But I think it's just corrupt amoral union execs doing anything to keep their large size and the dues coming in. Can you believe they actually had the audacity to go to WalMart and protest them? They pay more than the contracts you negotiate you dingbats lol. I'm not one of those "Unions are the devil" types, but this union is garbage and there should be different laws or they should allow competing unions.

kroagrr · Guru

Act on the Power You Already Have

Date: May 30, 2017

RE: Kroger Co. basically runs the union

myopinion · Senior Member

No, not a Lead or management. I am just a Deli clerk. I work from the minute I clock in til the minute I clock out. I have a person in our department that threatens the Union on everyone. This person slacks like crazy, like no one can touch them. They slice cheese on the meat slicer, don't write times on the rotisserie chicken, doesn't clean anything up, leaves stacks of dishes, won't take out the garbage and spends their whole time telling others what to do. Kroger won't do anything about it. They don't write them up, don't give them warning, won't suspend them, NOTHING. If Kroger ran the Union, Kroger would ignore the threats and do something about it!