where's my dime?

I work at a [major chain] grocery store making $6.90 to stock shelves. I started out at $6.25 in late 2004. I'm just fed up with the way things work. One would think that if profits were way up that the employees would get some of that...WRONG!!! No matter how good sales are I won't see an extra dime for my efforts. I was finishing up one night in my department when my manager stopped by and told me to make sure it looked good because they were expecting a "big wig" visit the following day. My only response to this was "Why should I care if the visit goes good or not? I'm off tomorrow" I didn't get punished for the comment, but it's the truth. What I was really thinking was "why should I care? I bust my butt every day for $6.90 an hour" and when the store profits are up up up my paycheck is exactly the same rate....it's bull****.
The only reason I'm staying with this job is for the benefits (medical insurance). That's another issue. Everytime our contract ends, they take away a little more. The people in charge (way up there) don't care about the well-being of the employees, all they care about are profits!!! They do anything they can do to save a dime. I've noticed that a lot of products are coming in smaller sizes (ounces/pounds) while the price is going up. If they're saving money on this, the worker should see something for it. "thank you" only goes so far and doesn't put food on the table. Thanks. I needed to vent

:rolleyes:

Big business only in it for the money?? No way!!

That's how business works.

it's all about profit. they want the maximum profit. so if they make more money, and they increase your wage, their profit isn't so big anymore. by keeping your wage constant while making more turnover, their profit increases.

it's simple business.

Thats how it goes. All you can do is find a job hat pays a bit more, work there for a few years, and move up the ladder, and get a litle more pay. Sometimes it takes a while.

that's true.. I just found that our raises get bigger after being there for 3 years (october for me). However, there's another issue with all this. Sometime in the coming months, Illinois minimum wage is supposed to be going up (to $7.50 I believe) and of course [we] won't be compensated for the 65 cents that we've accumulated over the past couple of years (everyone under $7.50 will go to $7.50 and no more. In other words, those of us who have worked however many years to get on top will be making the same amount as someone who walks in off the streets tomorrow. That doesn't seem right at all. I know there's nothing I/ we can do about that, but it just seems like a scam. I should be happy that my rate is going up by 60 cents, but with the cost of living and rediculous gas prices 60 cents won't do much. Basically those making around minimum wage aren't being helped, they're just making it seem like that. For that 60 cents, they're raising electric rates to the point that you're actually going to be worse off than before. Just my opinion.
And what about these gas prices? who's ass do we have to kick to get it [back] to 'normal'?

I work at a [major chain] grocery store making $6.90 to stock shelves. I started out at $6.25 in late 2004. You've got to be joking. That is such a slap in the face for anyone. The baggers where I work make that. Isn't there a union grocery store by you? you'll make a helluva lot more money.

You could consider yourself lucky. Where I live collage students are in and out of the jobs every semester. Employers dont pay jack because of it. Your lucky if you make 6 an hour. Getting a raise is unheard of becuase they always think you will up and quit when the next semester starts, even if you told them you were not. Stupid Collage Town!

You should move to Colorado. They just upped their minimum to $8.25. Then you can be that jerk who walks in and makes just as much as the guy who's been there for a few years.

You may be able to argue yourself a rase when you've been working there for 3 years. If the law passes and they say we just gave you a rase you can always say, "no the government gave me a rase." and go from there.

I hate inflation. We are stuck paying about 4% more each year for everything. With gas going crazy we cant keep up with anything if we make minimum wage. It seams the only way to make it in the world it to start your own business, but a large percentage of thoes fail each year.

Life sucks!

sad thing is, my job is Union. The insurance is actually quite good it pays like 90% of everything (x-rays, lab, surgery,etc). They're always taking something away when the new contract is made though. However it's still not a glamourous job. BEZERK, that's good food for thought...."the government gave me a raise" I like that! I was thinking of asking for a raise, but what's the point of doing that now if Minimum wage is just going to go up shortly. For the amount of physical labor we do $6.90 is a joke. I could get a nice desk job for more than that! Life is a bitch!

You could consider yourself lucky. Where I live collage students are in and out of the jobs every semester. Employers dont pay jack because of it. Your lucky if you make 6 an hour. Getting a raise is unheard of becuase they always think you will up and quit when the next semester starts, even if you told them you were not. Stupid Collage Town!

You should move to Colorado. They just upped their minimum to $8.25. Then you can be that jerk who walks in and makes just as much as the guy who's been there for a few years.

You may be able to argue yourself a rase when you've been working there for 3 years. If the law passes and they say we just gave you a rase you can always say, "no the government gave me a rase." and go from there.

I hate inflation. We are stuck paying about 4% more each year for everything. With gas going crazy we cant keep up with anything if we make minimum wage. It seams the only way to make it in the world it to start your own business, but a large percentage of thoes fail each year.

Life sucks!

Wow. i had no idea tjat the minimum wage just raised that high here. Come to Colorado man. I started stocking shelves at $9.60, in two years, made it to $15.66, and been there ever since.... that part sucks though. havent had a raise since about 2003-2004

and may I ask which chain??

So your medical insurance... Do you have to pay for that out of your 6.90? How aobut your union fees? If you do, you may not be getting much out of your 6.90 anyways. Just something to consider.

BTW I am from Colorado and going to school in Idaho. My buddy is employed by a grocery store in Colorado and is making over 16 as well. Been working there for a while.

wow!! Our head grocery department guys don't even make that much!!!! I think they're capped out at around $13 or $14.

The insurance is "free" but we do have to pay union dues which amount to around $6.00 a paycheck (one a week) IMO, $24 a month isn't bad. I've used the insurance A LOT since I got it. My only issue with this is that our union doesn't help US. Anytime someone calls the union or brings them in, they defend the company. Also they can't answer questions as well as they should.

our insurance used to be free.. and to a point it still is, $20/mo. Union is 13 per week. That is a problem with most unions anymore... I do not believe they are for the members, as much as trying to get someone elected into congress, or stuff like that.



Bezerk, where in colorado. im in aurora.

I guess that kind of counter acts the low wages but I have never heard of free insurance, it has to come from somewere. That sounds like a really crapy union. Unions should be the voice of the employees, not backing up the company.

Unions should be the voice of the employees, not backing up the company. At one time they were..... But the union has chenged more into a business than anything else.

suddenly my family's business is looking much better:)

As an employee of the store you are only entitled to your salary. Some companies offer their employees a profit sharing plan, but that is something your union will have to negotiate the next time contract renewal comes around.

Stock holders get all of the profits, but they also get the losses when the company does poorly.

I used to work in a grocery store and it was hard work, but it was better than working at McD's.

holy crap $16/hr for stock?!?! I make 9.25 at the grocery store I work in. Not bad, but still.

holy crap $16/hr for stock?!?! I make 9.25 at the grocery store I work in. Not bad, but still. how long have you been there? ive been at my job since 11/2001, got promoted to Checker/stocker in 6/2002

Ive been there for about 2 years and my pay has increased a total of $1.00. I should be getting another .25-.50 soon. I only work like 25-30 hours though.

that's true.. I just found that our raises get bigger after being there for 3 years (october for me). I started at $6 got 3 raises of 15 cents each, 2.5% of my pay, thats what we get for our raises...My last job they took forever to give me my $1 raises, 2 months of asking when I was told I would get it. My partner came in a month after I did (promoted from busser to disher just like I was), got the dollar raise right away, and I got didly squat, I was 10 times better than he was too. worked my ass off for 8 months before I got fed up with my boss's BS and workin my ass off for $7 an hour. Next job will be for a better company, making more than $9 to start, I'll be on phones or working on electronics, and may be joining the military bout the end of the year or so.

Yeah I hope to be out of mine too in a year or so once I get the AS.

The pay sucks but with the cost of insurance you're not doing too bad. My friend is a locksmith and he makes really good cash however hes paying out over $400 a month for independant medical, like blue cross blue shield I think he has now. Medical can get ridiculous especially if you use your coverage alot.

If you can't live on $6.90 just start looking for a better job, but if you make $9.50 an hour at the new job and have to pay out $75 a week for medical thats not going to get you anywhere.

Years ago I worked in a grocery store too I started out at $7.65 which was well above minimum wage I was a cashier and stocked shelves etc. Over the course of maybe 2 years I went up to $7.95 and they told me not to expect another raise unless I became a manager, which I wasn't planning on doing it was a part time job during school. I shudder when I step foot in a grocery store to this day. Find another job and never look back!

good advice. I guess I shouldn't complain considering that the medical coverage is there...fairly cheap. And, like I said earlier, I use it A LOT. I guess I'm doing ok. I live ok on the $6.90....I have a second job. Just seems like a lot of work for $6.90. My friends don't understand just how much work a stock boy actually does sometimes. It's not a casual "do what you can" atmosphere.. It's a "hurry up" and "get X number of cases stocked in an hour" I know there are far more difficult jobs out there, but for $6.90 it's hard work. It can be hard on your back, legs, knees expecially. THeres a lot of getting up and down over and over again. Before you can actually stock it you have to unload and set if off on carts [where I work]. After moving upwards of 1000 pieces by hand, you're tired enough, but then you have to run it to the shelves. I bet we walk several miles a day within the four walls of the store. There is an upside...I'm far enough up on the senoirity in my department that I basically get decent shifts. I only work until 9pm one night and only once til 8 (on the weekend). Other than those I work early. Not too shabby. I'll quit whining now. Thanks everyone, for listening and responding....great as always!

quit and join the army!


lol, jk.


plain and simple,if your not happy with your pay, you can try and ask for a raise or quit on them and find yourself another job with benefits and better pay...it's out there if you're willing to look for it

quit and join the army!I might be doing that, may be joining the air force or navy, not sue yet

I would do some research and find out what union you'd be considered then get a couple people together and bring in a union.

I've been in the grocery business for almost 7 years now, and 5.5 of those 7 have been at the store management level (Assistant Store Mgr.). First off, I worked for a union chain before, STAY AWAY! The unions DO NOT CARE about you or your well being, they care about their revenues(union dues). And on that subject, you DO NOT have to pay dues to get your insurance or any other union benefit. Unions are required by law to represent all employees equally, whether or not they pay dues. So don't let them throw that bullcrap at you.

The only reason we COULDN'T pay people that deserved it more money, is because in a union company hard work doesn't matter, only seniority. Plus we had to provide insurance for every employee, part time or full time. If we had an option, say people could refuse insurance and get an extra $1.50 an hour, the company would still save money and people that didn't need/want insurance could make more. I work for an independent now, and everyone gets paid a fair wage based on their performance and experience. Plus there is no union to come to bat for the theiving employees. I've caught at least 20 employees red handed stealing in my time. And about half of them got their job back because the union stepped in and threatened the company blah blah blah.

Bottom line: If you're doing a good job, you don't NEED a union, because the company will want to keep you around and pay you what you're worth. The only people that NEED a union are people who don't deserve to keep their job.

Anyhow, if you don't like doing your job for $6.90 an hour, don't come to work. When you clock in every day, you know exactly what's expected of you, and you know exactly what you're going to get paid. So when you hit that clock, you're agreeing to that arrangement. Don't like it? Go somewhere else. But don't come to work and think you're owed something, because you're not. Work your way up, or work your way out. I've seen countless people like you come and go, they start out working hard but in 2 weeks when they aren't getting a $2 raise they start to complain, whine, slack off etc.

Capitalism is a wonderful thing. You can go work anywhere you want whenever you want. But if you work for me, expect me to get my money's worth.

/endrant

don't think for a second that I'm a slacker! I try to come to work every day in a good mood and I give a good effort all the time. If I worked for you making $6.90 an hour, that's the amount of effort I'd give you. That's not a lot. If I made more, I would certainly be more willing to work harder. I come in to work [most of the time] when I'm needed. I don't come in late, I don't call in sick, I work over if needed. The "thank you's" are few and far between, but when they come they're appreciated. However, that's not the case most of the time. For that reason, I COULD [but don't] screw them in several ways. For instance, with the time clocks, you're allowed up to 7 minutes either way to clock in for shifts, breaks, etc. So if we wanted we could come in to work 7 minutes late every day, take an extra 7 minutes for (2) breaks, extra 7 minutes for lunch, and leave 7 minutes early every day. Not to mention "bathroom time:)" I could go and sit in there for 15-20 minutes a day. Nobody does all this, however there are people waiting to leave when the clock reads 4:22 rather than giving the honest 4:30. In doing the affore mentioned, I could essentially "steal" nearly an hours worth of work each day, but I don't and that should be rewarded. IMO

If you want to make more money, go back to school. It's as simple as that.

I don't agree with your viewpoint on how you should be awarded for not cheating the system. It's the other way around. The people who work the system should be punished.

don't think for a second that I'm a slacker! I try to come to work every day in a good mood and I give a good effort all the time. If I worked for you making $6.90 an hour, that's the amount of effort I'd give you. That's not a lot. If I made more, I would certainly be more willing to work harder.


See my previous post. You KNOW how much you make BEFORE you clock in. So if you don't feel that your rate of pay is sufficient compensation for you to do your job 100%, don't come to work. Otherwise be prepared to work. That "I give you $6.90 an hour worth of work" bull crap is a quick way to find yourself looking for a job.
And as for being rewarded for NOT stealing from the company? Are you retarded or something? That's called common decency, and does not deserve any type of reward.

Typical young person attitude: Pay me more and I'll work harder

Reality: Work harder and I'll pay you more.

tooshay (spelling?)

touché.

If you want to make more money, go back to school. It's as simple as that.

I don't agree with your viewpoint on how you should be awarded for not cheating the system. It's the other way around. The people who work the system should be punished.
I couldn't agree more with you. I made a mistake there. I did 2 years at a community college, but thought I'd take a year off and go back....WRONG!! It never happens that way. I got hired at my current job not long after graduating. Since I had no plans set in stone for school; work sounded like a good idea. Now I'm kinda screwed because I'm sure I make too much money to get financial aid for school:banghead: .

I have a few words on this matter. I have to agree on the matter that you would have to work even harder at 6.90 an hour for them to give you another raise. I would fire your ass in a heartbeat if you came up and told me..."pay me more and I'll work harder". because there is plenty of other people out there just dying to take your place of work at that pay scale. at 6.90 an hour that's pretty good compared to what some people make around here...Just 2 years ago I had some friends who worked at a local grocery making only 4.25 an hour...while paying rent and soso...that's just normal life...shitty as it is...you have to live with it. In reality it's just a political game the more money you make...the more bullshit and not actually work is expected out of you...hence why i never took a managers job. At 18 I got offered a first ass. managers job at a fast food joint making well over $1500 every 2 weeks on sal. plus insurance and such and such....I said hell no. I landed a job at a family owned Steak and Seafood rest. I started out as a dishwasher at 6.50 an hour...6 months later i ended up as a prep cook...7.25 an hour....after working here for almost a year and a half I making $13.75 an hour as a short order/grill cook...not to shabby...it pays my car payment and my bills...but I just don't see myself as a cook the rest of my life. I'm going to school for electrical engineering. Should be done with that in about another 2 years. The point is just stick it out or get out.