this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2024
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Get your rise by changing the company.
Alternatively, form a union so you can have a stable life with raises written into contract
2, 3 or maybe 5% raise vs. 10 - 15% on job change.
The other side has no loyality either.
If you want annual 10% raises, get elected to the bargaining committee and fight for it. A union is only as strong as it's member's will to fight.
What do you do if your unions has no elections?
UFCW is corrupt.
There aren't any elections in the UFCW? In that case, I'd look for a more democratic union and campaign to hold a 3 way election when it's time for a new contract.
Not in my local anyway.
First, do you mean your workplace, or your local? Locals for sure are supposed to have elections, and workplaces are supposed to elect their stewards. Stewards are the ones bargaining the contract and representing workers, they're also supposed to be bringing contracts to a vote. Bring it up with your local (above your workplace) first and talk to the president to find out where things are going wrong. Then if necessary go to your district before taking the drastic measure I mentioned. UFCW is supposed to be much more democratic than what you're describing from what I can find, so there might be something wrong flying under the radar.
Alternately, they can hold elections and still make them corrupt by holding them at the most inconvenient times for everyone except the people they want. "Our election is a voice vote, the week before Thanksgiving, at 2PM in a conference room in town 50 miles away" sorta stuff.
That's exactly what they did for the contract ratification and the strike vote, the only two votes they've ever communicated to us about.
They have four stores in a 120km radius across three different towns all going to one conference center, where voting is only open for a few hours during regular work times. Nobody is allowed to take time off work to go vote, not to mention that everyone is paid so poorly most don't have car and therefore no way to get there. There's a token short bus that goes between the towns, twice a day on weekdays only.
The only two votes they actually communicated about were clearly designed to reduce voter turnout.
UFCW is corrupt.
Oh you must be one of those lucky ~30% of the workforce who get to work in offices and actually have negotiating power in interviews.
What's your plan for raises for grocery workers who don't get luxury of wage negotiation no matter what?
I mean, what are you working for? To have something to do or to make money? If your work isn't worth your time, there surely are other possibilities?
Ah, so it's the "get a better job" take, is it?
If every grocery worker in town gets a better job, who is going to stock the shelves? When the stores close because they have no staff, where are YOU going to get you groceries from?
You NEED grocery workers. The economy NEEDS grocery workers. So they deserve to be paid well.
Every year baby
Better every 2-4 on average. Companies don't like too fickle candidates. Except if you're top of the créme.
I can go digging through my old research to find a citation, but for Western labour markets this has been proven to be true. Generally speaking who move between employers every few years generally earn more than people who remain at the same employer for long periods of time. This does not apply to individuals who occupy incredibly neich professions, like if fewer than 100 people total in an entire country are capable of doing that job.
This has become truer every year as benefits are cut (or costs raised), pensions are removed, and unions are eliminated.
Yearly "raises" barely (or sometimes don't) cover increases in cost of living. Unless you're getting something else out of it (such as experience), you're better off switching companies (especially if you move positions and the company leverages you as a resource for that old position).