This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Kroger and Safeway have been the absolute face of enshittification since the pandemic. They've also been accused of price fixing, and are trying to merge into a monopoly. They also regularly abuse disabled employees (at multiple stores in my area).
I have absolutely no doubt that they will do this the moment they think they can get away with it. In a fair economy, they would have been driven out of business years ago.
I already don't shop at my local Kroger owned store because they're anti union cuntfucks, this is just icing on the cake to never enter their stores ever again.
I thought Kroger employees had a union. Does this one not?
Most are unionized but not all. Kroger's union is also just not very good. I never met a union rep that wasn't friends with management. They do very little to actually represent workers. Also, Kroger has such a high turnover rate that newer employees will usually vote to approve any contract that gives them a raise, no matter how small.
These contracts last for a few years, so as other retailers raise wages to compete with each other, Kroger workers are stuck in their old contract until it expires. If anything, Kroger's union results in lower wages for the workers compared to other grocery retailers.
UFCW is further weakened by "right-to-work" laws that give union benefits to non-union employees. In my experience, many of the people who opt out of union membership are brainwashed by conservatism and are anti-union. They are also often the people who stay at Kroger the longest.
In addition, Kroger has dozens of "districts", each with their own contract. These contracts are all negotiated at different times so that if there is a strike, Kroger can send managers from other districts and hire scabs until the strike is over. This prevents strikes from ever really hurting Kroger's bottom line.
So, to answer your question, Kroger is technically unionized but it's union is pretty ineffective. Kroger basically operates the same as Walmart or Meijer but with a handful of union policies that they have to follow or they might get fined for a union violation.
With that being said, I am still very pro union. The above is just based on my own experience, having worked there for too many years.
Honestly if there's one union I'd opt-out of it's UFCW. They're either in bed with the corporations or so inept at what they do, that you're better off at a non-union job.
Trader Joe’s, aldi, and small private stores from now on. Go fuck yourselves Kroeger.
If ethical reasons are a concern, you might want to avoid Trader Joe's as well on account of their union busting activities.
I hear you. I agree that union busting is bad. I support trader joes employees unionizing. I don't want their stores to close and those employees to be out of a job.
Any employer that's a union buster deserves to be boycotted until they close and something better comes along to fill the need (which it will do quickly).
They're also one of the companies trying to destroy the NLRB.
Curious as to what the union’s demands are. It’s my impression that Trader Joe’s treats their employees relatively well. I have multiple friends who work for them and are paid a living wage (in the Bay Area of all places) for working reasonable hours.
If a company genuinely cares about their employees, they'd support them unionizing.
Agreed
Trader Joe's changed their stance during the pandemic and are aggressively fighting unionization. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trader-joes-attorney-nlrb-unconstitutional_n_65b41e7ae4b014b873b11cc2 https://inthesetimes.com/article/trader-joes-union-organizing-fight
Traitor Joe's is more like it
Aldi is so rad and they have the best chocolate.
That Burnt Caramel Sea Salt though. The best!
Those chocolate peanut butter cups are crack. I'm sad that people at my location have realized that, because they are sold out a third of the time.
Now would be a good time to start a line of headwear that has infrared leds to shield your face from cameras.
IR-Cloak is a wrap around frame designed to shield the maximum amount of your eye measurements from being captured on technology using infrared for illumination or mapping/scanning. With adjustable nose pads and flexible silicone temple ends, IR-Cloak is extremely comfortable and accommodating to all facial features.
Frame is not reflective to cameras (works with IR-blocking lenses only)
Infrared blocking lenses turn black on infrared cameras to remove critical eye measurements
Blocks 3D infrared facial mapping (iPhone Face ID) & infrared iris scanning during day & night
☞ https://www.reflectacles.com/order/ircloak
Appreciate the info and link, but $168 for what is essentially a few dollars of SOLAS tape and a pair of IR laser safety glasses? Bruh.
it was a reply to "Now would be a good time to start a line of headwear that has infrared leds to shield your face from cameras."
i won't buy it but it's already out there. He probably produces them alone and can't sell them for less than that.
If you've got the time, diy; if you've got more money than time, $168 may be preferable. There are people who won't be making that much money this month, there are others who buy media platforms as a hobby for $44000000000 🤷
Hm. I wonder if I could get those lenses in my prescription. That would be neat.
But I already wear glasses? What about a ball cap?
How will the camera categorize someone with an led cap?
As an asshole that deserves the highest price hahahaha
"Resistance Fingerprinting detected in Produce."
+$3
Don't they teach market research in business schools?
Do they realize how unpopular this is and week cost them market share?
Then again, what choices will there really be if this is the trend with all big retailers.
My town has three stores, Kroger, Safeway, and Walmart. As one goes so go they all most likely on this one so idk how I’d even begin to think about avoiding this longer term…
I'm lucky enough to have a WinCo nearby, but I'm not sure how widespread they are
AI was supposed to save the world.
These sociopaths have taken the only hope i ever thought we had and are going to use it to screw us. I want the money changers out of the temple NOW.
Woof. The logo was always a hint about what they were planning to do to the customers. First the K and the G came for the letter o...and I did nothing because I am not the letter o.
