21–30 of 93 posts
If only there was a way for us to get together...as people...to unite as a group. To hold hands and stand up for ourselves. To become so large that the corporations and politicians must notice us and must change.
Fucking Union!
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If problem employees are the cost of employers being reined in and not abusing employees with no recourse, so be it. All systems have some sort of drag on them, the question is not elimination of that drag, but how much you’re comfortable living with.
This employee and another… lackadaisical employee were both full time. Full time guaranteed more hours, sick pay, accrued paid vacation time, actual healthcare, etc. Pretty cozy benefits for retail work which is thanks to the union. At the same time multiple part time workers, such as myself, would pick up slack or work OT due to these unmotivated workers. It definitely lead to a weird culture.
High level, there’s room to improve where workers have a decent work experience and investors still see some benefit (even if it’s less than they would like to maximize for). These are not binary decisions.
It’s interesting seeing unionization back on the table in the 2020s. I worked at a union retail job for three years and saw the pros and cons firsthand. We had a problem employee who was untouchable regardless if he was completing his job duties (assuming he showed up at all). Eventually this came to a head as he would spend 30min+ in the restroom. To address this they instituted a “log all bathroom breaks” policy _f…
Usually union employees can be fired if there is "just cause". Not showing up for work at all would definitely to considered "just cause" for most unions I've been involved in. Did no one even try to fire him or was he related to someone in a management position? Being in a union doesn't mean you're "untouchable", it just means you can't be fired without hard proof that the worker is not doing what they are hired to…
Once he did completely stop showing up he was still on the schedule for months due to union contract stipulations as he was full-time.
The bathroom policy was put in place after having multiple meetings with the district manager.
As an Apple investor, I wish that Apple would do more to make working conditions such that the retail employees would be less likely to want to join a union. A large share of the employee grievances will be things not related to pay and could be helped by having ways for the employees in the stores to communicate their needs to corporate.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Usually union employees can be fired if there is "just cause". Not showing up for work at all would definitely to considered "just cause" for most unions I've been involved in. Did no one even try to fire him or was he related to someone in a management position? Being in a union doesn't mean you're "untouchable", it just means you can't be fired without hard proof that the worker is not doing what they are hired to…
This may be the intent of the rules/contract. But real world stories and experience show that unions tend to make bad employees untouchable, to the detriment of their fellow union members. And I say this as someone who generally supports unionization (but not necessarily the union management beast)
As an Apple investor, I wish that Apple would do more to make working conditions such that the retail employees would be less likely to want to join a union. A large share of the employee grievances will be things not related to pay and could be helped by having ways for the employees in the stores to communicate their needs to corporate.
Why would you not want the employees to join a union?
As an Apple investor, I wish that Apple would do more to make working conditions such that the retail employees would be less likely to want to join a union. A large share of the employee grievances will be things not related to pay and could be helped by having ways for the employees in the stores to communicate their needs to corporate.
> A large share of the employee grievances will be things not related to pay Might be in other cases, but in this case it's about low pay, and shitty shift patterns: > Reportedly, retail staff at Apple Glasgow earn 12 ($15) per hour. Workers at the store say that low wages, plus unfair shift patterns and a lack of pay transparency have prompted the move toward unionization. https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/06/10/…
Lots of talk about family, and close knit this, and "it's my job to support them" that. The usual self-righteous linkedin bullshit, but unusually brazen given someone was killed and a couple people injured.
I remember thinking "if they're so 'supported' by one of the world's richest companies, why do so many of them want to unionize?"
$15/hour for high-end retail is peanuts in almost any urban area. Given how much cash Apple has, and how fast they continue to accumulate it, they can absolutely afford to pay a livable wage to their retail employees.
It’s interesting seeing unionization back on the table in the 2020s. I worked at a union retail job for three years and saw the pros and cons firsthand. We had a problem employee who was untouchable regardless if he was completing his job duties (assuming he showed up at all). Eventually this came to a head as he would spend 30min+ in the restroom. To address this they instituted a “log all bathroom breaks” policy _f…
But unfortunately in 2023 we're now in a state where company leads don't respect their workers anymore and think they can get off with any kind of abuse, disrespect and exploitation. Time to remind them about the past I think.
Looking forward to the headlines of Apple taunting the Glasgow staff by offering benefits to other stores but not them, with the defense that the new benefits aren't part of the Glasgow agreement.
"So...we unionized and got better job protections and benefits than before, and you're punishing us." Apple: "Yes." "...by offering better benefits to other stores employees?" Apple: "Yes. We're giving them nicer stuff than we gave you. This is why you shouldn't unionize." "Hmm. By unionizing just our one store, we improved benefits for us, but also for ALL the non-union employees in the company?!" Apple: "er....no"…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Usually union employees can be fired if there is "just cause". Not showing up for work at all would definitely to considered "just cause" for most unions I've been involved in. Did no one even try to fire him or was he related to someone in a management position? Being in a union doesn't mean you're "untouchable", it just means you can't be fired without hard proof that the worker is not doing what they are hired to…
Yes, when I say “didn’t show up” I meant he called in “sick” every week to the point my manger would need to schedule on the assumption he would call off. Once he did completely stop showing up he was still on the schedule for months due to union contract stipulations as he was full-time. The bathroom policy was put in place after having multiple meetings with the district manager.
> The bathroom policy was put in place after having multiple meetings with the district manager.
Did he have health issues? I have never seen a healthy adult hide in the Bathroom. Is this something that happens? Has an effort been made to figure out whats wrong with them?
I have also had a junior colleague and a family member go through stomach related issues where they required over 100 days of sick leave and 4 surgeries. If they were working for amazon warehouse, they'd be disposed of quickly.
I definately dont want to work for a company that timea how long I spend taking a shit.
For every 'lazy' or 'unproductive' employee i've seen, I can name two that create negative productivity for an entire team through office politics and maneuvering.
They are much more damaging and management never seems to catch on!