Whole Foods workers seek to unionize

Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by codeddesign on Thursday September 06, 2018 @06:38PM (#17930249)

I fail to see “dedication”. Anyone getting paid minimum wage and working sub hours for a non career job is not going to be highly dedicated to a position. While I’m not against unionizing, I am against the rise of unskilled labor assuming that an employer owes them something. Unionizing isn’t inherently bad, but unions do tend to exploit both the laborer and the employer for the union’s gain. Failed labor unions combined with a workforce culture that feels owed is ultimately hurts these workers in the long term.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by caconym_ on Thursday September 06, 2018 @06:56PM (#17930346)

Oh, so unskilled employees shouldn't be so entitled as to want the protection of unions (etc.)... but also unions are bad for them? Come on.

Workers of any skill level are "owed" whatever they can get, because that's the same ethic employed by their employers.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by HammerJack on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:25PM (#17930528)

You have to remember though, if a corporation is doing it, it's good business/capitalism. If an individual is doing it, it's greed or something similar.

E.g. wage negotiations.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by caconym_ on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:47PM (#17930664)

Silly me, I forgot! Thanks for the reminder, friend.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by bonestamp2 on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:12PM (#17930451)

I have trouble getting on board with your opinion about their dedication because Whole Foods stores across the country have some of the best and most consistent customer service experiences I've had. I'd say there's no doubt they are more dedicated than most retail workers. The real question for me is if they are worth $15/hr? I don't know the business, so I can't say with any certainty there.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by maxxxxx on Thursday September 06, 2018 @09:24PM (#17931200)

I really wish that all people who get paid $15/hr and are said to be not worth it would go on strike. I'd guess things would crumble pretty quickly. Probably much quicker than if the people who make $100+/hr stopped working.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by bonestamp2 on Thursday September 13, 2018 @02:36PM (#17981127)

Just for the record, I didn't say they're not worth $15/hr. Maybe they're worth $20/hr. They're worth whatever value they bring to the business + retention bonus since hiring new people also costs money -- and I think in the case of whole foods that number is high, but without studying their business I don't know what that number is. To throw out $15/hr arbitrarily doesn't help anyone; it might be less than they're worth.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by s73v3r_ on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:14PM (#17930467)

Amazon is a trillion dollar company. There is no reason they can't pay $15/hour.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by erik_seaberg on Thursday September 06, 2018 @09:55PM (#17931339)

$15/hour for 560K full-time employees would be $17B/year. Amazon shares are somehow a $1T commodity for speculators but the actual business clears $3B/year, so depending on how much of their SG&A today is labor they might truly be unable to sustain it.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by mulmen on Thursday September 06, 2018 @09:26PM (#17931205)

That is a naive perspective that betrays a deep misunderstanding of both the stock market and operation of a business.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by drb91 on Thursday September 06, 2018 @06:40PM (#17930258)

I’ve noted that the most fulfilling jobs tend to pay the least. Are all minimum wage jobs satisfying? No. But I’d bet the average social worker is more dedicated than the average engineer.

Furthermore, after having talked to several employees of whole foods over the years... I think there’s higher satisfaction there than elsewhere. People enjoy doing things well, even if it is an every day thing.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by Marsymars on Thursday September 06, 2018 @06:44PM (#17930275)

In my home province, average social worker pay is comparable to average engineer pay.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by opportune on Thursday September 06, 2018 @06:47PM (#17930295)

I bet your home province doesn’t have many engineers

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by Marsymars on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:18PM (#17930488)

Roughly 20% less than average for the country (Canada). (Keeping in mind software developers generally can't call themselves "engineers" in Canada.)

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by cliffordthedog on Thursday September 06, 2018 @08:43PM (#17931015)

Opposite problem, too many relative to jobs.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by drb91 on Thursday September 06, 2018 @06:46PM (#17930282)

That’s either great or terrible, but I can’t tell which. Are they paid well?

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by Marsymars on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:20PM (#17930500)

Yes, pretty well. Individual median salaries about on par with median household income.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by vkou on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:03PM (#17930392)

Where I live, average social worker pay puts them only one rung above the people they are supposed to care for.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by komali2 on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:27PM (#17930543)

I'd need to see evidence of your claims that (1) anyone getting paid minimum wage is not going to be highly dedicated or (2) that anybody working sub hours is not going to be highly dedicated or (3) that service jobs are "non career jobs" or (4) that service jobs are "unskilled" or (5) that there are a class of employees owed nothing by their employers or (6) unions tend to exploit the laborer and the employer or (7) what a "failed" labor union is or (8) unions ultimately hurt workers in the long term.

I am doing what I can to remove my emotional reaction to your comment, which I find to cast a wide and unfounded net, from my response. I apologize if I didn't do a very good job.

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by maxerickson on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:28PM (#17930548)

The going rate for someone that just shows up to most of their shifts isn't minimum wage...

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Re:Whole Foods workers seek to unionize by trophycase on Thursday September 06, 2018 @07:12PM (#17930449)

What a joke. Maybe if they were in a union they would get paid more than minimum and be more "dedicated" as you say.

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