Unions

Texas is a "right to work" state which is the biggest misnomer out there, since what it means is you have a right to be fired whenever you want, because unions have been undercut.

Unions are THE ONLY WAY to assure job security. It doesn't matter how good you are at your job, if your boss doesn't like you, they can fire you. Even if it's technically "discrimination" that is so impossible to prove in most cases it's rarely worth it, and you're out of a job. Unions are also the only way to guarantee you get a raise every year, and have a voice at your workplace.

Does that mean there aren't corrupt unions, unions that lose sight of their priorities? Of course there are. But the basic principle of unions is one which anyone who cares about their job and their livelihood should embrace.

My biases: I am not currently a union member. But I helped organize the workers at the Parry Center for Children in Portland, OR, a residential treatment center. I went on to serve for 1 year as president. SEIU is a strong, growing, important political force for workers in health care and other jobs. It's one of the "good ones" as far as unions go. That's been my experience with unions, so while I know that corruption exists in all aspects of the human race, I have seen primarily the positive, life-changing, job-saving aspect of unions.

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Originally Posted by whottt

I don't know where you live but that Union is why their prices are high.

When I worked at Safeway 25 something years ago they paid about 3-4 more dollars more per hour than any other grocery chain in Austin. I know because I worked at a couple of the other ones. Every place else paid about $3.35 an hour and Safeway paid about $7.00....and there were other perks too.

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I worked for Safeway in 1979 and was paid $8.52 (I think, $850 round #s) per hour. As a checker, I was putting through over $2000 per hour through the check stand. How does any amount of pay and benifits between union and even minimum pay amount to over a 5% difference. 5% of that $2000 is $100 per hour.

Please explain to me why a union facility should be more than a 5% difference in cost from a non-union competator.

Safeway here is 30% more costly than Walmart and WinCo, but they are in line with QFC, FRed Meyer, and Albertsons. I don't know what union scale is today, but minimum wage here is I think $7.95 per hour. Even with slow, lazy union checkers today (in the old days, they had to maintain speed) they still have over $2000 per hour of food, and a 30% increase is $600 per hour difference!

Again:

Please explain to me why a union facility should be more than a 5% difference in cost from a non-union competator.

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Originally Posted by Wild Cobra

I worked for Safeway in 1979 and was paid $8.52 (I think, $850 round #s) per hour. As a checker, I was putting through over $2000 per hour through the check stand. How does any amount of pay and benifits between union and even minimum pay amount to over a 5% difference. 5% of that $2000 is $100 per hour.

Please explain to me why a union facility should be more than a 5% difference in cost from a non-union competator.

Safeway here is 30% more costly than Walmart and WinCo, but they are in line with QFC, FRed Meyer, and Albertsons. I don't know what union scale is today, but minimum wage here is I think $7.95 per hour. Even with slow, lazy union checkers today (in the old days, they had to maintain speed) they still have over $2000 per hour of food, and a 30% increase is $600 per hour difference!

Again:

Please explain to me why a union facility should be more than a 5% difference in cost from a non-union competator.

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Well I was never a checker so I don't know how much they paid them but that is a high figure for 1979.

Don't lose the Forest for the Trees...in my case it's simple, they were paying their employees at least double what any other Grocery Store was paying their employees, at least for sackers. That's going to result in substantially higher prices. It is enough to justify prices twice as high? No...but 30% sounds about right to me. And it hurts them....that's why Safeways are extinct in Texas now(if they aren't totally extinct they are close).

I don't know who else has Unions now...so I don't how the wages should match up. All I know is back then Safeway was the only supermarket chain in Texas with a Union.

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Originally Posted by whottt

Well I was never a checker so I don't know how much they paid them but that is a high figure for 1979.

Don't lose the Forest for the Trees...in my case it's simple, they were paying their employees at least double what any other Grocery Store was paying their employees, at least for sackers. That's going to result in substantially higher prices. It is enough to justify prices twice as high? No...but 30% sounds about right to me. And it hurts them....that's why Safeways are extinct in Texas now(if they aren't totally extinct they are close).

I don't know who else has Unions now...so I don't how the wages should match up. All I know is back then Safeway was the only supermarket chain in Texas with a Union.

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You missed my point. Union stores are charging about 30% more than non-union stores. When groceries pass at a rate of over $2000 per hour per checker, and say that two other people are involved, a 5% difference at $2000 is $100. Are three union employees the cause for this extra $100 per hour in food cost through the check stands? And that only at 5% more than a non-union store. If it was only a 5% increase, I would shop at a union store. However, the cost around here is about a 30% difference, or $600 PER HOUR for the same three employees. No way in hell the three union employees cost the union stores that additional $600 per hour!

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Originally Posted by Wild Cobra

You missed my point. Union stores are charging about 30% more than non-union stores. When groceries pass at a rate of over $2000 per hour per checker, and say that two other people are involved, a 5% difference at $2000 is $100. Are three union employees the cause for this extra $100 per hour in food cost through the check stands? And that only at 5% more than a non-union store. If it was only a 5% increase, I would shop at a union store. However, the cost around here is about a 30% difference, or $600 PER HOUR for the same three employees. No way in hell the three union employees cost the union stores that additional $600 per hour!

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Ahh ok...well I'm out of my element, that grocery passing rate is entirely over my head. I've never heard of it before, and I'm not really quite sure I understand it. I was just going entirely on the fact that the store I worked at paid their employeees twice as much as other stores and union membership was mandatory.

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Originally Posted by whottt

Ahh ok...well I'm out of my element, that grocery passing rate is entirely over my head. I've never heard of it before, and I'm not really quite sure I understand it. I was just going entirely on the fact that the store I worked at paid their employeees twice as much as other stores and union membership was mandatory.

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What else is new?

<<<Never claims to be knowledgable on a subject he isn't knowledgable about, and definitely never argues from a position of ignorance when he isn't knowledgable on a subject. Per hour grocery checking rates and their relation to unions and product costs is definitely one of them. Unfortunately for your sorry ass.....cultural attitudes of Island Nations and the many definitions of continent, isn't.


I am the easiest person on this board to beat in an argument when I don't know what I am talking about...and a cast iron bitch when I do...you should try it sometime...not arguing from a position of ignorance I mean.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by whottt

<<<Never claims to be knowledgable on a subject he isn't knowledgable about, and definitely never argues from a position of ignorance when he isn't knowledgable on a subject. Per hour grocery checking rates and their relation to unions and product costs is definitely one of them. Unfortunately for your sorry ass.....cultural attitudes of Island Nations and the many definitions of continent, isn't.


I am the easiest person on this board to beat in an argument when I don't know what I am talking about...and a cast iron bitch when I do...you should try it sometime...not arguing from a position of ignorance I mean.

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As corroborated by many posters in your ignore list...