We’d like to introduce you to “Jason”, a union member that we spoke with earlier this week regarding negotiations. He’s one of our heroes because he’s constantly standing up in the workplace for his fellow union members.
“Jason”, Giant employee, 20+ years of service:
Raised in a large family, Jason understands the importance of hard work. He commutes over an hour one way to work and has been a dedicated worker at Giant for over 20 years. According to Jason, while they cite inability to meet payroll costs, store management often cuts the work hours of employees, yet the store still manages high sales volumes. This seems to be a big factor that contributes to increased turnover of new employees. Jason worries about the impact on the newer workers every day. About this he says: “They [Giant] have to bring these people up to some money. Their [newer employees] future is my retirement.” Jason clearly sees the importance of Giant’s need to be successful but suggests that it must be balanced with quality of life for union members as well.
We agree with Jason that turnover and reduction of hours has a major impact on all employees but particularly those with less seniority. In fact, we’re doing whatever we can to get our co-workers with less than 25 years of service at both Giant and Safeway involved in the process. If you are a union member at Giant and Safeway with less than 25 years of service or know someone who is that should be involved, please email us at occupygiantandsafeway@gmail.com. We’d love to speak with you about getting more engaged with our efforts!
Read more stories about Our Heroes.
[...] interesting information from the UFCW Local 400 blog on Safeway & Giant; it pertains to the high turnover at Giant supermarkets. According to Jason, while they cite inability to meet payroll costs, store management often cuts [...]