Independent unions are a real rarity in the US labor movement. But at multiple stores across the country, Trader Joe’s workers are organizing outside of established unions.
When I was in highschool, I picked up a job at the local grocery store. It was a union shop, and UFCW. They had just negotiated a new contract. The old contract had time and a half for working Sundays, and a starting pay was ~9.00 /hr and went up to $18.00 / hr for baggers in 2003 money. The cashier’s went from $15-$35 iirc. The new contract nixed all of that. I got signed under the new contract.
My pay was literally $0.25/hr over the state minimum wage. The union guy came to shake me down for dues after a month or so on the job. I told him if I pay dues, I’m literally below minimum wage. He said but they’ll be there if I ever need someone to back me up if they try to fire me. I told him if they wanted to fire me, I could get a job the next day at that pay rate. I had to quit or pay dues. I quit, and made damn sure the union rep knew that it was their shitty contract that was the reason I was quitting.
They also did an old timer there super dirty. Dude was a bagger forever, and enjoyed the work, had no desire to move up, and didn’t need the money. They told him they wanted to “promote” him to cashier. He got a .$0.15 /hr raise, and in doing so, got put on the new contract and lost his Sunday time and a half pay. Dude lost it when he realized that n quit. Fuck UFCW.
When I was in highschool, I picked up a job at the local grocery store. It was a union shop, and UFCW. They had just negotiated a new contract. The old contract had time and a half for working Sundays, and a starting pay was ~9.00 /hr and went up to $18.00 / hr for baggers in 2003 money. The cashier’s went from $15-$35 iirc. The new contract nixed all of that. I got signed under the new contract.
My pay was literally $0.25/hr over the state minimum wage. The union guy came to shake me down for dues after a month or so on the job. I told him if I pay dues, I’m literally below minimum wage. He said but they’ll be there if I ever need someone to back me up if they try to fire me. I told him if they wanted to fire me, I could get a job the next day at that pay rate. I had to quit or pay dues. I quit, and made damn sure the union rep knew that it was their shitty contract that was the reason I was quitting.
They also did an old timer there super dirty. Dude was a bagger forever, and enjoyed the work, had no desire to move up, and didn’t need the money. They told him they wanted to “promote” him to cashier. He got a .$0.15 /hr raise, and in doing so, got put on the new contract and lost his Sunday time and a half pay. Dude lost it when he realized that n quit. Fuck UFCW.