[DavieJ89]

Being a Waterbury native, and having been raised in Orlando, FL most of my life my father always complained about how he took a huge pay cut after he moved us down here in 1995 (he was a tool and dye man)

I work for a major grocery chain here in FL and am wondering if I would make more money if I were to take a job at Stop and Shop or Big Y. If I did relocate, most of my relatives (all father's side) reside in the Housatonic Valley in New Milford, Danbury, Brookfield, among others, so I'd have a place to stay until I could get a place

I'm currently earning $9.90 an hour in my current job, would I make more at Stop and Shop or Big Y? Can anyone tell me what the industry is like in CT? Do they have unions?

[Stylo]

Honestly, I think you'd be better off trying to get a job at Costco or maybe one of the other wholesalers. I'm not sure what Stew Leonard's pays, but they always are recognized for being a good workplace by lists. They are in Danbury, Norwalk, and Newington.

Near your relatives, there is a Costco in Brookfield, Waterbury, Norwalk, and Milford.

They tend to pay much better than the grocery stores.

[seymourct]

Well there is a push here to eliminate cashiers. There are ever growing self checkouts. Not sure what position your looking for.

[DavieJ89]

Originally Posted by seymourct

Well there is a push here to eliminate cashiers. There are ever growing self checkouts. Not sure what position your looking for.

I'm not a fan of self-checkouts myself. I used them when shopping at Smith's (Kroger) when I lived in Las Vegas and there was always a problem with them. They also say "we don't want to deal with you, check yourself out, we're sick of that"

I work in produce which is the position I'd be seeking. I just researched Stop and Shop on glassdoor.com and according to the average produce salary at Stop and Shop, I'm actually earning MORE money at my current job, the employee reviews of Stop and Shop weren't good either

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by seymourct

Well there is a push here to eliminate cashiers. There are ever growing self checkouts. Not sure what position your looking for.

Actually, the trend of self-checkout has been reversing over the past couple years. Big Y is one chain that we are familiar with here, that removed their self-checkouts.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by DavieJ89

I'm currently earning $9.90 an hour in my current job, would I make more at Stop and Shop or Big Y? Can anyone tell me what the industry is like in CT? Do they have unions?

Big Y is non-union. Stop & Shop and ShopRite are, but it's a ridiculously weak union.

[DavieJ89]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Big Y is non-union. Stop & Shop and ShopRite are, but it's a ridiculously weak union.

I thought Big Y would be union as well, good to know it's not. When I lived in Naugatuck, my family liked that one they had there. I think if I were to move back to CT, I'd have to take a job in a different industry.

[nep321]

Working in retail is an epic disaster. Horrible wages that are out of touch with the cost of living in CT. Don't bother.

[DavieJ89]

I would think that retail wages are out of touch with COL just about anywhere. I was under the impression that working at Stop and Shop, Shop Rite, Big Y, etc I could earn $14+ an hour, have benefits, etc. Because so many people from New England and NY who move to FL constantly complain about how much less money they're making, how its too hot, how its "too ethnic", among countless other things, yet they refuse to move back. My father being one of them. he complained about Florida's low wages right up until his death in 2011

Research on glassdoor.com proved the opposite to be true, and a lot of grocery retail employees in CT seem to be completely miserable, whereas once again the opposite is true down here

As much as I'm missing CT sometimes, I think I'll stay in FL for the time being

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by DavieJ89

I thought Big Y would be union as well, good to know it's not. When I lived in Naugatuck, my family liked that one they had there. I think if I were to move back to CT, I'd have to take a job in a different industry.

Yeah, they're not. I've been trying to patronize the non-union(Big Y) a little less, but the Stop & Shops in my area are horrible. I made my last visit to Stratford S&S yesterday. What a dump!