Friday, October 14, 2016
Employment Video Filmed at the Jenkintown Acme!
While the presentation of employment opportunities at Acme is a tad awkward, the backdrop is the Jenkintown Acme back in the days of the Chalkboard Market décor. The décor package was specifically developed for this replacement store and wound up being used in other remodels in the late 90's. Keep your eyes pealed for the custom designed checkout lights! Thanks to Will for sending in the video!
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Oh yes "Its so special to work at Acme" Yes they hire disadvantaged people but pay them minimum wages and low progressions and its all part time positions. I applaud them for hiring handicapped and disadvantaged people but what about the rest of us? They are pricks to work for if you are a full timer there. They nitpick everything and worry about stupid stuff that really does not matter. They are quick to write people up for every slightly wrong move. And when there were alot of people looking for work after A & P folded they became brutal to those already there. They failed to train full timers and department heads their ways and blamed them for every little thing that went "wrong". They fired a few full timers per store they acquired because "They did not quite meet their needs" Now they want to end time and a half on Sundays for everyone and make Sunday part of teh regular workweek for full and part timers. Full timers would only get 40 hours a week including Sundays. No more overtime also. They say they might make Sunday a premium pay day with a dollar an hour over they wage. That is the best people can hope for. Shop Rite and STop & Shop extended their contracts in our region to 2022 with no increased cost in our health benefits and kept time and a half after 30 months as it is. Why can't Acme? Working in grocery stores has gone downhill everywhere but Acme is the worst to work for out of all of them. Even Walmart might be better.
ReplyDeleteThe pay thing makes sense - if someone is only working 40 hours per week, why would they expect to get more per hour on one day of the week than another? I'd assume that was something that started back when stores weren't open on Sunday to encourage people to work that day when they first decided (or laws allowed) to go to 7 day operation, but now that it's common (in most places) seems strange to have to keep offering it.
ReplyDeleteIt might make sense to retain it for a couple special occasions (like those who have to work on Thanksgiving or such) but not really for every day.
It looks like it was filmed in 1998 or 1999 before the Albertsons takeover. It was a different economic time, and a different company. At around 0:55 you can see ACME's old logo.
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious Mark, do you think your average grocery store employee should be making $40/hour? It's a low margin and competitive business.
ReplyDeletegosh, You guys are all off. The time and the half issue went away at the bargaining table several years ago except for those clerks, Department Managers, Cutters already receiving them. That will last until the last employee receiving it retires. That is only fair a Meat cutter or Department Manager may earn between 150 to 200 dollars per Sunday for 5 or 6 hours of work. For those of you that think that you could do this work,yhink twice as that ids afive and a half day week. Perhaps your employer should cut your pay ten grand
ReplyDeleteMost supermarkets do offer some sort of Sunday premium though Time and a Half is gone in many markets both union and non union. Except meat cutters, noone makes 40 an hour in a Supermarket. Departments heads make from about 18 to 30 an hour. Full Timers make from 10 an hour to about 25 an hour. Part timers make from about 9 an hour to about 18 an hour. So working grocery stores is not a huge paying group of jobs. Its gone downhill since the 70's when I was born. Back when I was a little kid you had to know someone just to get hired or be very exerienced. Minimum back then was a dollar and change and tehse stores started at about 3 dollars an hour and progressed to about 10 an hour. Back in 1975 10 an hour was huge money. It was decent money in the 80's but today 10 an hour is what 2 dollars an hour was in 1972. So pays have not kept up with inflation. 10 an hour back in the 70's is about 50 an hour today. So again we have not kept up with inflation. Back then full health insurance was offered to full timers and part timers that worked good hours. In the 90's part timers ha dto wait a year or two to get full health benefits. Today part timers (even those that work good hours) get some health benefits like an eye exam, dental exam and minimal dental work, and a doctors exam but that is about it. Full timers are now having to pay copays in some markets. So yes working in grocery stores has gone downhill in the past 40 years. back in the 90's people that worked at my place at work as far back as the late 50's told me things have gone down hill. Today 20 years later I am telling younger people the same thing. Except I refer to the 90's as the good old days. So all in all its gone downhill. Only a level above working at Burger King.
ReplyDeleteI go back to the late 60!s. I started at 1.65 per hour and recieved time and a half for Sunday hours. Yes the wages for clerks have gone down with each contract But department managers cutters still make a decent living, but the clerks have suffered. Why, Walmart. The company will start each negotiation with Walmart only pays this much and hour and we need relief or we will close stores or cut jobs. So, we as union members simply screw the next generation. Now there isn!t much left to give back. Just keeping the union pension fund a float must be a tremendous battle.
ReplyDeleteGetting union at Walmart is the best answer. That would strengthen the union. Still its gone downhill in the 25 years I have been working. Its sad.
ReplyDelete