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Author Topic:   Labor Pains In Colorado
Phat
Member
Posts: 18262
From: Denver,Colorado USA
Joined: 12-30-2003
Member Rating: 1.1


Message 1 of 166 (656144)
03-16-2012 5:39 PM


I have worked in the grocery industry for 24 years. Having learned the basic skills at customer service, proper ordering, stocking and rotating shelves, produce and dairy, I consider myself skilled at my job and feel that the hard work that I put in (It has gotten twice as intensive the past five years) justifies a liveable wage. In addition, I am the Union Shop Steward for my store, and am well aware of the philosophies, guidelines, and objectives of the local union Local 7 in Colorado. With my position, I am uniquely positioned to see the pros and cons of each differing philosophy between corporate business, store management, union politics, and day to day union concerns.
Times are tough, now. Walmart is going to open 22-30 Grocery Stores which are non union shops here in Colorado within the next year or two. 4 will open in April. The union, of course, wants to picket them, but I feel that the deal is already done...these smaller stores are violating no zoning laws and everyone is quite sure that my company, safeway, may become the first casualty of such a grocery war. Yet as a 52 year old diabetic who is half as strong as a younger man, I feel that I wont be able to compete with the eager new labor coming in. I DO feel that my best chance at fighting this rests with staying with the union...there is always power in numbers ---only problem is they are not very smart as a group. Everybody is out for themselves...you should see the politics and scrambling for position as everyone in the company braces for near certain layoffs. Union wages are what saves a middle class of consumers, however...nobody can help the economy (apart from wealthy stockholders) much by making $8.00 an hour...especially with inflation being factored in. I am open to ideas concerning this grim economic situation.
Republicans crow about creating jobs, but what good are minimum wage jobs in todays economic dynamic?
Edited by Phat, : No reason given.
Edited by Phat, : No reason given.
Edited by Phat, : No reason given.

Replies to this message:
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RAZD
Member (Idle past 1406 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 2 of 166 (656251)
03-17-2012 10:38 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Phat
03-16-2012 5:39 PM


Hi Phat,
... With my position, I am uniquely positioned to see the pros and cons of each differing philosophy between corporate business, store management, union politics, and day to day union concerns.
Times are tough, now. Walmart is going to open 22-30 Grocery Stores ...
Indeed, the war on low income continues.
Sobering.
Enjoy

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
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This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by Jon, posted 03-17-2012 10:46 AM RAZD has replied
 Message 7 by hooah212002, posted 03-17-2012 11:34 AM RAZD has replied
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Jon
Inactive Member


Message 3 of 166 (656252)
03-17-2012 10:46 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by RAZD
03-17-2012 10:38 AM


Why does the apartment have to have two bedrooms?

Love your enemies!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by RAZD, posted 03-17-2012 10:38 AM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 5 by hooah212002, posted 03-17-2012 11:11 AM Jon has replied
 Message 9 by crashfrog, posted 03-17-2012 1:11 PM Jon has replied
 Message 18 by RAZD, posted 03-17-2012 4:02 PM Jon has replied

Jon
Inactive Member


Message 4 of 166 (656253)
03-17-2012 10:49 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Phat
03-16-2012 5:39 PM


Union wages are what saves a middle class of consumers, however...nobody can help the economy (apart from wealthy stockholders) much by making $8.00 an hour...especially with inflation being factored in. I am open to ideas concerning this grim economic situation.
I have only once ever earned minimum wage, and that was the first few months of my first job ever back when I was 16. Since then, even the starting pay for other jobs I've had has been above minimum wage.
Aside from fast-food restaurants, I'm not aware of any other jobs where paying minimum wage is common practice. So how much of a problem is this, really?

Love your enemies!

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Replies to this message:
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hooah212002
Member (Idle past 802 days)
Posts: 3193
Joined: 08-12-2009


(1)
Message 5 of 166 (656256)
03-17-2012 11:11 AM
Reply to: Message 3 by Jon
03-17-2012 10:46 AM


Why any bedrooms at all? Why not just have the whole family sleep on the couch? Hell, why even have a bathroom when you could just walk to the gas station and use the shitter there and splash some water on your face to clean up.

"Science is interesting, and if you don't agree you can fuck off." -Dawkins

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Replies to this message:
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hooah212002
Member (Idle past 802 days)
Posts: 3193
Joined: 08-12-2009


(2)
Message 6 of 166 (656259)
03-17-2012 11:17 AM
Reply to: Message 4 by Jon
03-17-2012 10:49 AM


I'm not aware of any other jobs where paying minimum wage is common practice.
Go to a temp agency and find a job for someone with a sporadic work history (thank you layoffs!!), no college (HS dropout perhaps) and no tangible skills and you will find PLENTY of jobs at or barely above minimum wage.

"Science is interesting, and if you don't agree you can fuck off." -Dawkins

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hooah212002
Member (Idle past 802 days)
Posts: 3193
Joined: 08-12-2009


Message 7 of 166 (656264)
03-17-2012 11:34 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by RAZD
03-17-2012 10:38 AM


In researching min. wage, I have found that Federal min. wage means dick and states don't necessarily have to follow it. For example: the Federal minimum wage is $7.25, while the minimum wage in GA is a paltry $5.15. Live on that.
Sauce

"Science is interesting, and if you don't agree you can fuck off." -Dawkins

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Jon
Inactive Member


Message 8 of 166 (656279)
03-17-2012 1:04 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by hooah212002
03-17-2012 11:11 AM


Why any bedrooms at all? Why not just have the whole family sleep on the couch? Hell, why even have a bathroom when you could just walk to the gas station and use the shitter there and splash some water on your face to clean up.
Who said there's a whole family living in the thing?

Love your enemies!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by hooah212002, posted 03-17-2012 11:11 AM hooah212002 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 10 by crashfrog, posted 03-17-2012 1:13 PM Jon has replied
 Message 12 by hooah212002, posted 03-17-2012 1:27 PM Jon has replied

crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1467 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


(1)
Message 9 of 166 (656280)
03-17-2012 1:11 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by Jon
03-17-2012 10:46 AM


Why does the apartment have to have two bedrooms?
For the rest of the family, I presume.

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1467 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 10 of 166 (656281)
03-17-2012 1:13 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by Jon
03-17-2012 1:04 PM


Who said there's a whole family living in the thing?
Oh, I see. Families are for the well-off. (Coffee is for closers.)
But wait - isn't birth control only for the well-off, too?

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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jar
Member (Idle past 395 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


(2)
Message 11 of 166 (656282)
03-17-2012 1:17 PM
Reply to: Message 9 by crashfrog
03-17-2012 1:11 PM


Heard that company is coming
The second bedroom is for the company coming.

Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

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hooah212002
Member (Idle past 802 days)
Posts: 3193
Joined: 08-12-2009


Message 12 of 166 (656284)
03-17-2012 1:27 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by Jon
03-17-2012 1:04 PM


Who said there's a whole family living in the thing?
Why would you assume there wasn't? Are families not important enough to consider when calculating living cost that you should only factor in people with no children? It is easier to measure based on at least a 1 child household (which itself is rather rare) which raises the bar for single people with no children, don't you think?

"Science is interesting, and if you don't agree you can fuck off." -Dawkins

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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Jon
Inactive Member


Message 13 of 166 (656289)
03-17-2012 2:01 PM
Reply to: Message 12 by hooah212002
03-17-2012 1:27 PM


Why would you assume there wasn't? Are families not important enough to consider when calculating living cost that you should only factor in people with no children?
Sure they are. But if we are considering them, then we need to consider the income from every member of the family.

Love your enemies!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by hooah212002, posted 03-17-2012 1:27 PM hooah212002 has replied

Replies to this message:
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 Message 17 by Phat, posted 03-17-2012 3:37 PM Jon has replied

Jon
Inactive Member


Message 14 of 166 (656290)
03-17-2012 2:02 PM
Reply to: Message 9 by crashfrog
03-17-2012 1:11 PM


Why does the apartment have to have two bedrooms?
For the rest of the family, I presume.
All those people, and yet our statistics are only taking into consideration the wages of a single worker?

Love your enemies!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 9 by crashfrog, posted 03-17-2012 1:11 PM crashfrog has replied

Replies to this message:
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Jon
Inactive Member


Message 15 of 166 (656291)
03-17-2012 2:02 PM
Reply to: Message 10 by crashfrog
03-17-2012 1:13 PM


Oh, I see. Families are for the well-off.
Obviously completely unrelated to what I said.
Nice try, though.

Love your enemies!

This message is a reply to:
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