[JayCT]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Massachusetts has a $15 minimum wage coming and it has tolls. Market Basket is the dominant grocery store chain in the eastern half of the state. It's non-union. The employees like working there. They have competitive compensation and benefits. They like the owner/management to the point where they went on strike a couple of years ago because another family member took control and was going to sell it to a giant corporation. The other corporate-owned grocery store chains in the region have had a huge wave of store closures. Market Basket beats them on price, service, and quality.



This is all about lousy ownership.

I agree. They put profit over service. Once a company does that it spirals downward which Stop & Shop seems to be doing. Thousands of little cuts here and there have affected the overall shopping experience. Walmart gets around this by offering low prices. I doubt Stop & Shop can do that. Jay

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I agree. They put profit over service. Once a company does that it spirals downward which Stop & Shop seems to be doing. Thousands of little cuts here and there have affected the overall shopping experience. Walmart gets around this by offering low prices. I doubt Stop & Shop can do that. Jay

Stop & Stop was going down the drain long before this strike. It seems like a horrible place to work. The store nearest me never has enough cashiers, and it's impossible to get checked out. I finally stopped going.

I keep reading in the paper that people are being arrested for walking out of there with merchandise they haven't paid for. I almost don't blame them. It seems sometimes that stealing is the only way to get out of that store with anything.

I really question the wisdom of any business that makes it very difficult for customers to buy from them. That seems like a recipe for extinction, regardless of the elaborate justifications or excuses that they would no doubt provide for the situation. A smart business would understand that it is penny wise and pound foolish to cut off the customers' way of paying for their merchandise. They're going the same way as other chains like the Grand Union that are no more.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by KEVIN_224

The strikers, some of which were my former coworkers, were by the doors at the Berlin store (store #614) today, too. Only the pharmacy and in-store People's United Bank were open. Having said that, we all saw one lady bringing a carriage full of bagged groceries to her car around 11:15. How did she get them? Even with self-scan, I doubt management was letting anybody shop.

I think the Berlin store has some type of electronic device that enables you to scan your groceries as you put them in the cart. Then you pay when leaving, no check out required. I think an employee has to check the receipt.


The devices are on the wall next to the bakery dept when you walk in. I rarely see people use them though.


I have also saw a robot at the Berlin store. He just got in the way.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by Lalalally

$15 hour minimum wage, which is on its way in CT + TOLLS coming all over the state, plus the fact S&s actually offers *pensions*, plus the 5 weeks vacation demanded = the absolute decimation of and death nail in the coffin for either S&S in its entirety; or at a minimum, the death of the “concept” of a S&S full-time employee.

It’s at a lager head, and there is no doubt the S&S full-time employee will lose either way. Writing is on the wall.

They will go the way of the dodo bird

I'll bet Ahold's European subs are unionized.


Film at 11 ?

[JimG2]

At this point I feel bad for the workers. Fine if they want to strike and all, but right now the only ones getting paid are their union bosses who encouraged them to strike. Most of these people are paycheck to paycheck and can't afford the loss of wages. 4 days now? The full timer working at $15 per hour has lost $480 in wages that are not coming back. Another $120 tomorrow. It's a war of attrition between the hourly's and upper management. The store manager's I'm sure are still getting paid even with the stores closed. They probably still have to show up and put in their shifts. It's the cashiers, the deli people, the produce people, the seafood people, etc. On the sidewalk with their signs, chanting, and the only ones not getting paid.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MrGompers

I think the Berlin store has some type of electronic device that enables you to scan your groceries as you put them in the cart. Then you pay when leaving, no check out required. I think an employee has to check the receipt.


The devices are on the wall next to the bakery dept when you walk in. I rarely see people use them though.


I have also saw a robot at the Berlin store. He just got in the way.

Every Stop & Shop has those devices. Have had them for years now. Some use them and bag as they go along. Some don’t. I see quite a few use them at our store but it is not for everyone. Jay

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by MrGompers

I think the Berlin store has some type of electronic device that enables you to scan your groceries as you put them in the cart. Then you pay when leaving, no check out required. I think an employee has to check the receipt.


The devices are on the wall next to the bakery dept when you walk in. I rarely see people use them though.


I have also saw a robot at the Berlin store. He just got in the way.

You can scan with your phone too. I've done it in the past but reception is spotty so I gave up. You can go through any checkout, self or manned, to pay. Unless the app has been upgraded to pay within the app. I've never had my receipt checked. It's not like BJs where someone is at the exit stopping you.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by JimG2

At this point I feel bad for the workers. Fine if they want to strike and all, but right now the only ones getting paid are their union bosses who encouraged them to strike. Most of these people are paycheck to paycheck and can't afford the loss of wages. 4 days now? The full timer working at $15 per hour has lost $480 in wages that are not coming back. Another $120 tomorrow. It's a war of attrition between the hourly's and upper management. The store manager's I'm sure are still getting paid even with the stores closed. They probably still have to show up and put in their shifts. It's the cashiers, the deli people, the produce people, the seafood people, etc. On the sidewalk with their signs, chanting, and the only ones not getting paid.

The non union employees most likely can file for unemployment if mgmt won't let them work. Union members usually receive "strike wages" in exchange for picketing. I don't know what a strike wage would be though.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Not the case in Milford, and AFAIK, Danbury and Orange. The new Shoprite’s are aesthetically nicer than S&S.

Absolutely. Shop Rite Milford is very good. It will be around a long time. I truly doubt , even w/o labor issues, S & S lasts long.

[BobNJ1960]

Profit is what business is about, properly.