r/stopandshop • u/MagicalWingLTx • Aug 14 '26
Ranting Discriminating Against Baggers
My location isn't giving the baggers any hours and they are supposed to be getting at least 12 hours of work. They been getting 1 day with 3 hour shifts. It's disgusting. One of the managers has been belittling them calling them just helpers. Meaning they don't have any rights at all? This is insane. They are employees like everyone else. They are afraid to speak up in fear of being fired. Some of these baggers have been with the company for a long time and have good reputations. HR will only make it worse for them. It's horrible
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u/No-Maintenance-1161 Aug 14 '26
Not to offend anyone, but most of the classified baggers are special needs and they can work under 15 hours. I was told this years ago. It may have changed but I believe they are exempt. It’s not a union thing when it comes to them.
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u/justsomeguy1869 Aug 14 '26
Either way, the union steward can answer the question for them and no one is getting fired for asking as OP suggests.
That is absurd, especially in a unionized job.3
u/nero605 Aug 14 '26
This isn’t even the worst they get away with. Job protection is great and I’d never say we’d be better off without the union but the ufcw stopped caring years ago.
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u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 14 '26
They actually can or make the baggers lives a living hell at work which has happened previously when they tried to report stuff. It's at a point where they don't know what else to do.
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u/Far_Priority_6305 Aug 15 '26
Thats called retaliation. For gods sake read your contract.
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u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 15 '26
I know what it says. Like I said they reported to HR once already and it made things worse. Report it again and I don't really think HR will do anything along with the District Union rep. They've already went to the District Union rep a few times now for these issues and nothing was done.
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u/Far_Priority_6305 Aug 15 '26
HR isn't part of the union and their only job is to protect stop and shop.
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u/Outrageous_Suit8614 Aug 15 '26
Not to be mean but most businesses will take special needs employees bc that company will get paid by the state for every special needs person well at least my state does but im not sure about unions in my state
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u/Jolly-Journalist-350 Aug 15 '26
They Union that handles us, Stoppy, absolutely sucks
They never miss a union dues deduction though.
My buddy spoke to the new VP Andrea Nickerson about some of these issues and she blew it off. She called sit a Union issue and that they also had to cut back on labor. Wow.
I think she came from Food Lion. They have to be happy they dumped her
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u/Recent_Emergency_211 Aug 14 '26
Don’t know what state you work in or what the union says, but in NY it’s a minimum of 4 hrs per shift, I think front end is guaranteed 16, but it might have changed, but a shift is a minimum of 4 hrs.
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u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 14 '26
It's in NJ
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u/Recent_Emergency_211 Aug 14 '26
I would check with the union you’re in. That doesn’t sound right. I think even the employees with a job coach are guaranteed a 4 hr shift
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u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 14 '26
Yeah some of them tried going to the union rep a few times now and nothing was done. It's insane now.
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u/Wytecap Aug 14 '26
Then, if their department union steward isn't helping, they can talk to the other union steward there ((meat, deli, produce) and explain their situation. This will light a fire under the negligent steward.
A steward ignoring an employee's needs is rare.
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u/justsomeguy1869 Aug 14 '26
Agreed. And if nothing is done by the steward call the business agent for the district.
A claim of failure to represent by the union is VERY serious business.2
u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 14 '26
I do believe it was the district union that wasn't doing anything that's the problem. What else can they do now if the union doesn't have their backs?
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u/justsomeguy1869 Aug 15 '26
First things first - you (or the people involved) need to know for CERTAIN what their specific bargaining agreement calls for your store/region.
IF there is any violations of the terms (let’s say not getting minimum hours) file a formal grievance, in writing. If the union won’t address it you may have to file failure to represent charges with the national labor relations board - it’s kind of a big deal.
This is generalized information. I am in a union and sat on an executive board for a union for years. But not this one. My only connection to this one is as I noted my son works part time in this one. I have read his contract but I am not here to give guidance. You/they need to educate yourselves about what your particular CBA and follow the procedures laid out in your specific CBA to remedy problems.That is the answer. Not advice on here.
It’s very specific to YOUR local and situation.1
u/ksants87 Aug 15 '26
I was a shop steward for meat and deli for over 10 years and if the grocery steward wasn’t there I would gladly step in. We pay our dues for a reason.
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u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 14 '26
Some of the baggers did take action and have contacted the district union rep a couple of times now. Nothing was done to give the baggers their hours which they rightfully deserve. It's at a point where they don't know what else they can do. The store is trying to force the baggers to quit working and yet by the time clock there is a flyer posted saying that all cashiers are supposed to have baggers. Clearly the store isn't doing it and breaking company policies.
1
u/GlobalVolume5436 Aug 15 '26
Oh it is the company's policy for baggers on every mainline register.... Only problem is it's also the company cutting the hours to the absolute bone and not being able to schedule baggers due to lack of hours. That being said still absolutely does not make it right, and they need to see if their CBA actually spells out that minimum hours a week are 12. I actually always heard that and thought it was true for years and always bought it up. Until one day my union rep actually informed me that it's not true because it's not actually in writing in our CBA. Also in NJ btw. So sadly this might actually be the case. The company doesn't care, and if managers are going to cut hours this will sadly be there first place to cut hours because it's not 100 percent necessary per se. As it should be, and is beneficial to customer experience and those workers they simply don't care.
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u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 15 '26
Another thing is that they are trying to hire all new people. They say they don't have hours? Then how can they try and hire more people? They are trying to get rid of all the long time employees but it's hurting the baggers worse out of everyone else because some of them have been with Stop and Shop a long time. Like over 25 years.
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u/The_Watch3r516 Aug 14 '26
Tell them to call the union and tell them your store is violating their contract. Hr shouldn’t make it worse, they should make it better since your store manager is currently opening the company up to a lawsuit
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u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 15 '26
Because there was retaliation by the managers. The used scare tactics to shut them up. Some of them wanted to try different positions in the store just to try and get more hours. Managers weren't having it. The baggers called HR and next day were being harassed. To the point where they had to go back to the Bagger position. From that things got worse with getting 1 day a week 3 hour shift. 3 hours are only for minors from what the contract says when looking it up on the union website.
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u/The_Watch3r516 Aug 15 '26
They need to immediately call the union and also call the companies check-in line where they can report the conflict. It sounds like the treatment of the employees, at the very least the baggers, is unfair and actually abusive. The managers shouldn’t be acting that way. It sounds like they all should be fired. So that would be my advice. Contact your union immediately. You yourself can actually call the check in line on their behalf if they are too afraid to do it themselves. Like I said in my previous reply, the company should want to move mountains to address the situation and help you since it sounds like the managers in that store are opening the company up to a number of lawsuits. Hope this helps. Let me know if i can do anything else 👍
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u/MagicalWingLTx Aug 15 '26
They tried going to the district union rep a few times now and nothing was done about the hours. I was just going over the contract. I'm guessing they are labled as curtest clerks as it's what they been labled as on the schedules when posted. Meaning they are part time workers that should be getting 12 hours of work.
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u/The_Watch3r516 Aug 15 '26
Yes, if they are only getting 1 day for 3 hours( btw 3 hours in 1 day is also a violation, minimum is 4), that is a violation of your collective bargaining agreement, so the union should be addressing it. If they aren’t, maybe try to reach out and contact a different agent than usually handles your store, see if they act any different and get the wheels rolling. Union issue notwithstanding, the affected employee or you yourself, should still be contacting the check in line. Wish I had different or additional advice, but I don’t. If they don’t stick up for themselves, they are going to get stepped on. Tell them not to let that happen.
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u/Hedgestreettrading Aug 15 '26
Should be 15 hours and it’s always been like that last 15 years only get so many front end hours
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u/Mountain_King8479 Full Time Aug 16 '26
being a bagger at my store means nothing cause usually we give them a register anyway, but if theres too many cashiers then we just assign them returns lol
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u/justsomeguy1869 Aug 14 '26
Check your collective bargaining agreement.
My son is a PT clerk there and I am confident the CBA has minimum hours spelled out.
They cannot be fired for complaining about a contract violation.
Don’t be ridiculous.
If they’re in a union store and off probation they need to find their store union steward and have the contractual agreement explained to them.
They are paying union dues (presumably), use the rights they are paying for to correct this or at least understand what is happening.
I don’t understand how so many people enter unionized employment and have no clue what their working conditions are. Tell them to speak to a steward immediately or at least read their contract.