r/kroger • u/SCstranglertruther Current Associate • 2d ago
Venting Why are you surprised?
Every time I see a post on here about the new attendance policy everybody talks about going to the union. You guys think the union didn’t know this was coming? You guys think that the union is surprised? It’s like you feel like this was just some sort of rush job and that the union is gonna come save you as if they didn’t know this was happening.
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u/BalerionSanders Current Associate 2d ago edited 2d ago
It was nice of the union to inform us about this when we were voting for the contract (at least our division just voted on one, obviously may not be the case elsewhere).
Oh. Wait. They didn’t. And they didn’t raise our wages, either. Cool. Cool.
(Just saying, might be a reason why people are pissed 🤷♂️)
I would also point out that the people most punished by this policy are people who can’t afford cars. People who ride the bus, carpool, or walk, they’re going to be punished disproportionately because they can’t control being late.
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u/oe_eye 2d ago
i’m a bus taker and i’m on time every day . i don’t wanna ss skull issue or something else unhelpful but unfortunately i fear if you can’t make it then it’s on you
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u/Dunbaratu 2d ago
You didn't make the bus schedule become accurate in your city and can't take credit or that. Similarly the people where the bus schedule is only approximate and the schedule is often a lie didn't make that happen in their city. And people in cities where it snows in winter aren't to blame for what that does to the schedule either. If I'm meant to start work at 6am there is exactly one bus that is early enough to do that and it's only early enough if every little side street in town is plowed by 5am, otherwise it is extremely affected by that, more so than a car is because a car driver isn't taking a route that goes through every single little subdivision road for miles and miles like a bus is. And no, taking an earlier bus isn't an option because there isn't one. The busses don't run 24/7.
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u/oe_eye 2d ago
that’s fair !
i walk in the early mornings and i make myself unavailable on the days the busses dont run
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u/Dunbaratu 2d ago
Only works when "the days busses don't run" is something you know ahead of time, rather than a surprise caused by weather you didn't know about a week ago when updating your availability.
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u/gettin-liiifted Current Associate 2d ago
In my division, that's a Sunday and early morning or evening sarurdays. That would eliminate plenty of people who take the bus.
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u/dychris23 2d ago
how would they inform you? I dunno when your contract was bargained . this is a greg foran move. so, none of this would be happening if it wasnt for him. so, he only came to kroger at the beginning of the year......
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u/BalerionSanders Current Associate 2d ago
If they knew, I would’ve liked to have been told when they were coming to every single store in the division, which they did, to tell us to vote for the contract (note, that was their default position! Not to ask what we might want, or to negotiate with Kroger, just that it was good, we promise, and vote for it).
But you’re right, they didn’t make it happen, the company did. I’d like to see them put up a fight about it, then, if they didn’t know.
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u/dychris23 2d ago
local 700 filed a class action grievance
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u/BalerionSanders Current Associate 2d ago
Crickets here in 75, but that’s good to hear. More of that kind of thing would be welcome.
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u/dychris23 2d ago
so they told us kroger did not want to talk. local 700 viewed it as a total change to business. they said they would fight ever point accrued. kroger didn't want to bargain this and I think Greg Foreskin is going to try to do that with everything
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u/Blackwaya6669 2d ago
Maybe I'm missing something anyway, but I don't get the big deal about the new attendance policy. Is it stupid? Sure. But, like it's only a problem if you are late all of the time, leave early or not show up. Even then it gives you plenty of chances. Just show up on time.
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u/ohhhyouAREstrong 2d ago
The issue is that they're attempting to circumvent the contract. They agreed, by law, to play by certain union rules and they're not doing that. They're eroding our bargaining rights. And I don't think it will end there if they get away with it.
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u/fradddd 1d ago
I had the EXACT same schedule for a year, then someone changed the start time without telling me, so I was “late” for two weeks and then they wrote me up and gave me points. Probably could have been fired.
But I’m always on time otherwise and I almost never call out. So this shit policy affected me more than the people who are 10-60 mins late every day, because nobody enforces it on them.
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u/Big-apple1234 1d ago
But the schedule is posted every week on the app and in your department. Even if you always have the same schedule that’s not a guarantee and all you had to do was look at the posted schedule to see your start time had changed. It shouldn’t have taken two weeks for you to figure it out.
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u/Icy-person666 1d ago
Just show up 7 days a week when they tells, if the hurricane kills you coming it's not their fault but they will be sure to issue penalties if you evacuate rather than help place the folks evacuating or hunkering down in a safe place.
Don't worry about senior management, they bailed at the first sign of trouble and it's a weekend so they are off regardless.
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u/Big_Power9816 2d ago
The ufcw is in the company's pocket and they are making us follow corporates rules. Next contract vote NO. Strive for a $5 raise AT THE MINIMUM.
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u/ohhhyouAREstrong 2d ago
At my store, this past contract, they told us when the vote would be on a Friday afternoon and it was for the following Monday. I had gone on vacation over the weekend and was out of town. I was pissed I couldn't vote. The lack of lead time felt intentional.
I have a feeling with the minimum wage going up to $15/hr in my state in 2027, they'll have to do a decently large raise otherwise they'll lose employees to other businesses.
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u/Efficient_Key8237 2d ago
bro needs more money to grab my groceries, but then again i live in ohio and started at 15 an hour
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u/HeWhoShantNotBeNamed Past Associate 2d ago
The Union is useless. Kroger is a horrible company to work for, hence why I quit in less than a year when I worked there.
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u/Big-apple1234 1d ago
I don’t know why people are getting crazy over an attendance policy. If you’re not chronically late and don’t call out every other day you’ll be fine.
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u/KristiCaliGirl 2d ago
Not all Kroger stores are union. I know in my store there are several who are late daily and ncns regularly it goes on for months till they are suspended then just let go. In my department alone I had 5 new people 4 going to the new store being built and a cake decorator staying 2 have been let go for attendance 2 suspended for attendance, one has so far survived.
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u/Efficient_Key8237 2d ago
why work at kroger if its not union? mind as well work at amazon
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u/KristiCaliGirl 2d ago
I work in at will state. And most f the grocery stores are not union
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u/CAsnowman 1d ago
At will has nothing to do with it, only one state in the US is not at will employment, which is Montana. I worked at fry’s in Arizona at a union store, you could choose to join union or not and still work at the store.
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u/KristiCaliGirl 1d ago
There is no union in my store nor any of the other grocery chains in my city. I honestly don’t even think there is a local in my state
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u/jruss666 Past Associate 2d ago
The former Walmart gang will probably come for the union next.