Superstore staff in Alberta vote in favour of strike action

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Fulfillment in employment has nothing to do with the job being skilled or unskilled, prestigious or disreputable.

I work in a prestigious, “skilled” job and I would say the majority of the profession fines it unfulfilling. I would assume most office workers fine their jobs to be empty and devoid of real meaning.

I look at some jobs and professions and think, “damn that would be fun” or they would hit some level of fulfillment my would requires. I could easily transition and learn the skills of those positions but I don’t because I now need to keep doing what I do to live in the life I have stupidly become accustomed to.

Does your job give you a sense of or some degree of connection, self-esteem, status, or freedom? It doesn't mean you have hit the apex of Maslow's Hierarchy of needs (Self-actualization) but for most people, I think they deserve a career where at least they can be provided some of the higher order needs of a human being.

A job that only fulfills the very basic bottom physiological needs such as dealing with hunger and providing shelter by exchanging your time and labor for repetitive tasks is possibly something that could be automated away with technology. We have already made leaps and bounds in factories now versus the industrial revolution. You could argue all day that someone could find fulfillment by being a minimum wage cashier or stock clerk their whole lives but on the whole, I don't see that as representative of human aspiration if we actually provide for basic needs (UBI) and provide choice and opportunities.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

The only reason I still get bags for groceries is that I haven't found anything better for bathroom garbage bins. And the bags are useful for other things too like packing lunches or carrying anything else that you don't want to worry about a return trip for. This is why the move that Superstore made to take bags away from the self checkout area and force you to ask for some from the one lone worker there is infuriating

If you order for pickup from Superstore you’ll get more bags than you’ve ever seen in your life. Honestly, we get things like just a single toothpaste in it’s own bag in a full trunk order.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

If you order for pickup from Superstore you’ll get more bags than you’ve ever seen in your life. Honestly, we get things like just a single toothpaste in it’s own bag in a full trunk order.

I thought the removal of bags was only at the downtown superstore to prevent bag theft by the downtown population.

I didn't realize that it was happening at all Superstores?

This really speaks volumes about how cheap the Westons can be if this is a dictate about saving money rather than saving the environment.

I also use these bags for all my trash cans and for wrapping up socks and underwear for holidays, etc. I find myriad re-uses for them all over the place.

[81MC]

No bags is so laughable. Safeway, no bags. Yeah, all their ####ing organic produce is packaged in enough plastic to to make a valley girl blush, but a bag for my apples and soup is the issue.

[Cowboy89]

I'm typically as anti-union as they come typically and I have worked in a unionized grocery store environment for 5+ years in high school and university so I completely understand what working in one entails. This is one of the first times I'm 100% behind the workers in this labour action. There was a time when grocery store workers made outsized compensation and benefits relative to the market value of their labour, however decades of union busting by the likes of Loblaws and the like have rendered them close to minimum wage and no longer are they overpaid at all. Now add covid where there's a significant health risk exposure for employees coming into work everyday and Loblaws who likely would have accessed a tonne of government cash aimed at Covid relief refuses to pay their employees accordingly. This is a classic situation on why unions exist in the first place.

[iggy_oi]

One of the few positives I’m able to take away from this pandemic is that it seems to have brought a lot of awareness to how essential some jobs really are and how undervalued they’ve been for a long time.

[Azure]

The lack of people to fill these positions is also a big issue, which again brings me back to my point about treating your workers well to make sure they stick around.

There are people at Costco doing the exact same thing, and their employee satisfaction levels are MUCH higher.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Azure

The lack of people to fill these positions is also a big issue, which again brings me back to my point about treating your workers well to make sure they stick around.

There are people at Costco doing the exact same thing, and their employee satisfaction levels are MUCH higher.

You can only get away with that sort of thing when you have investor buy-in. Unfortunately ethics are low on the priority list for a lot of corporations.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I thought the removal of bags was only at the downtown superstore to prevent bag theft by the downtown population.

I didn't realize that it was happening at all Superstores?

This really speaks volumes about how cheap the Westons can be if this is a dictate about saving money rather than saving the environment.

I also use these bags for all my trash cans and for wrapping up socks and underwear for holidays, etc. I find myriad re-uses for them all over the place.

This made me chuckle. I guess I can save on wrapping paper!

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

a lot more than they have gotten, considering they went to work every freaking day through 4 waves of a pandemic, and had their danger pay raise taken away a year ago.

to me it's not the fact it's "unskilled labor", but the risk factor they've all had to take. when everyone else was hunkered down at home, they've kept things going.

grocery workers are some of the unsung heroes of the pandemic, that most people have taken for granted.

Thank you for recognizing that. It's not something that really ever gets brought up.

Good on these workers.

I work in grocery retail and I tell you this industry is harder on its employees than any industry I've worked in.

I work with people who have been with the same company for over 30 years and work 32+ hours a week, but are classified as part-time, and will never sniff full-time employment because the company doesn't want to pay benefits or guarantee hours. The slightest dip in store sales and your hours can get cut.

Just remember, "We're all a family".

These corporations each pull in hundreds of millions every year and treat their employees as some replaceable number in a system.

I've worked with more than a few people who get in the industry for whatever reason, realize how much physical labor is involved, how low the pay can be, and see how there's no guarantee of hours or benefits and just nope right the f*** out.

[Nufy]

So this will read as a bad take but I'm not sure how else to phrase it...


Why would someone work for a company for over 30 years at part time hours and not once think about moving to another position ??

Originally Posted by Super-Rye

Thank you for recognizing that. It's not something that really ever gets brought up.

Good on these workers.

I work in grocery retail and I tell you this industry is harder on its employees than any industry I've worked in.

I work with people who have been with the same company for over 30 years and work 32+ hours a week, but are classified as part-time, and will never sniff full-time employment because the company doesn't want to pay benefits or guarantee hours. The slightest dip in store sales and your hours can get cut.

Just remember, "We're all a family".

These corporations each pull in hundreds of millions every year and treat their employees as some replaceable number in a system.

I've worked with more than a few people who get in the industry for whatever reason, realize how much physical labor is involved, how low the pay can be, and see how there's no guarantee of hours or benefits and just nope right the f*** out.

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by Nufy

So this will read as a bad take but I'm not sure how else to phrase it...


Why would someone work for a company for over 30 years at part time hours and not once think about moving to another position ??

Not a bad take at all and often wonder about this stuff myself, and I imagine the answer would be different for everyone.

I know more than a few people where it started as a part-time job that they do while they're in school. Teens to mid-'20s. They do it cause it's usually easy to get hours on weekends and evenings. Also, if you're with the right company and put in enough time you can make some decent cash. (~$24 if you qualify for top rate, little more if you get into management.)

Then, like...life happens I guess?

Some realize that their schooling didn't really open a whole lot of doors to them.
Some fall into the trap, which is something that exists in a lot of industries. They max out their wage and looking at starting over in a new industry means a pay cut. Sometimes these people have mortgages or babies on the way and taking a pay cut doesn't really seem like an option.
There's also the fact that the hours are not consistent, and a lot of the time you must have completely open availability. These 2 facts can make it difficult to commit to another job, or more schooling.
And the truth is, there's also a bunch of people who enjoy what they do and want to be treated better while doing it.

[Jason14h]

Here's a question - Why isn't there tipping at grocery stores?

I shop at Co-Op and have my favorite cashiers. I know they pack the bags like all-stars, and their lines will move the fastest. Those two things are easily worth a few $$ to me.

I have never thought about it until now, but I would gladly tip my cashier over some of the other things I tip for.

I do make sure to always compliment their tetris like bagging....Soooo.... That's something?

[Mr.Coffee]

100% behind the union on this one and no question Loblaws is pretty disgusting on this one.

I’ve said it before and will say it again because this is actually one of the most important ideas our society needs to wrap it’s’ head around.

When will (all) corporations realize that we can no longer structure corporations to benefit ONE stakeholder, the shareholder, when almost every corporation impacts MULTIPLE stakeholders- of which employees are one?

Companies need to start paying workers more. Full stop. They need to start bridging the gap of lower paid workers and higher executive level workers and management.

This speaks to so many societal issues, like wealth inequality and the overall sustainability of our society in general- preventing it from collapsing into full fledged revolution which would not be off the table if the masses are so desperate. That is where we are heading.

Anyone with half a brain understands that unchecked capitalism does not work. The United States have proven this. Much the same that the Soviet Union demonstrated that unchecked communism doesn’t work (unless you’re okay with authoritarianism in which case- you are an extremist, and there do seem to be some on this website which is weird).

Related to unchecked capitalism, business schools train kids that all initiatives are for the owners and shareholders. This is not entirely accurate. Companies need to operate in the best interests of all stakeholders, including communities they live in, the environment, employees or contractors and yes, shareholders too.

We should demand more of our large scale profitable mega enterprises, like Loblaws. And banks. And insurance companies. And oil companies. And tech companies, and all companies.

Companies that do not pay their employees are scum when they are found to be making profits north of a billion or share buybacks or special dividends it’s like hey, dip####s, no- reward the employees that GOT YOU THERE. It is actually so wrong when you think about it. And it is contributing behaviour to huge society problems probably in the not too distant future.

Loblaws sucks. Pay your ####ing people. Loblaws gets a F- grade for the last 12 months.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

100% behind the union on this one and no question Loblaws is pretty disgusting on this one.

I’ve said it before and will say it again because this is actually one of the most important ideas our society needs to wrap it’s’ head around.

When will (all) corporations realize that we can no longer structure corporations to benefit ONE stakeholder, the shareholder, when almost every corporation impacts MULTIPLE stakeholders- of which employees are one?

Companies need to start paying workers more. Full stop. They need to start bridging the gap of lower paid workers and higher executive level workers and management.

This speaks to so many societal issues, like wealth inequality and the overall sustainability of our society in general- preventing it from collapsing into full fledged revolution which would not be off the table if the masses are so desperate. That is where we are heading.

Anyone with half a brain understands that unchecked capitalism does not work. The United States have proven this. Much the same that the Soviet Union demonstrated that unchecked communism doesn’t work (unless you’re okay with authoritarianism in which case- you are an extremist, and there do seem to be some on this website which is weird).

Related to unchecked capitalism, business schools train kids that all initiatives are for the owners and shareholders. This is not entirely accurate. Companies need to operate in the best interests of all stakeholders, including communities they live in, the environment, employees or contractors and yes, shareholders too.

We should demand more of our large scale profitable mega enterprises, like Loblaws. And banks. And insurance companies. And oil companies. And tech companies, and all companies.

Companies that do not pay their employees are scum when they are found to be making profits north of a billion or share buybacks or special dividends it’s like hey, dip####s, no- reward the employees that GOT YOU THERE. It is actually so wrong when you think about it. And it is contributing behaviour to huge society problems probably in the not too distant future.

Loblaws sucks. Pay your ####ing people. Loblaws gets a F- grade for the last 12 months.

Most shareholders in big companies are institutional
Investors and retirement funds

Demand better with your money . If shareholders demanded better working conditions vs ROI things would change .

Or everyone boycott Superstore and shop at more expense options that treat their employees better. Then they will disappear and only establishments that treat their employees well will exist

Consumers and shareholders are hypocrites and, with most things in life , want someone else to make the sacrifice while they reap the benefits of cheap services / goods and great ROI on their investments

[Northendzone]

but is sobey's/safeway/save-on/co-op any better in terms of how employees are treated?

[Slava]

It’s interesting to see a thread like this, when at the same time there is a lot of fretting over the rising cost of living and inflation. I’m not saying I’m against this, but if “we” want to see grocery store employees paid more we also have to be prepared to pay more at the till. I think that’s unlikely.

It’s not unlike the childcare costs that people bring up. People think that it’s deplorable how little those caregivers are paid, but on the other hand think the cost of childcare is too high.

[KTrain]

I'm 100% on the side of the employees on this one but we'll for sure be seeing increased costs at Superstore if they get their demands. Superstore won't just eat those costs.

90% of the time I shop at Co-op anyway so we're used to the higher prices.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Here's a question - Why isn't there tipping at grocery stores?

I shop at Co-Op and have my favorite cashiers. I know they pack the bags like all-stars, and their lines will move the fastest. Those two things are easily worth a few $$ to me.

I have never thought about it until now, but I would gladly tip my cashier over some of the other things I tip for.

I do make sure to always compliment their tetris like bagging....Soooo.... That's something?

We need less tipping in society, not more.

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

We need less tipping in society, not more.

Yeah. Employers use that as an out for paying their employees properly.

Besides, most union positions (like grocery stores) don't allow employees to accept tips because it creates inequality between positions that aren't customer facing.