Corona strike??

[redeye58]

The stores could have been made slightly uncomfortable (heat, AC, lights, music quality) to encourage people to leave quickly.

Just remember that TMs will have to endure those discomforts all shift long.

 

[commiecorvus]

which Hank Williams? There are three

Hank III could certainly keep the store clear of Karens if they played his stuff when he was with AssJack.
There would be folks like me hanging out all day so that might be a problem.

 

[Cinnamon2005]

which Hank Williams? There are three

But only one worth listening to. Hank, Sr all the way.

 

[Tessa120]

Just remember that TMs will have to endure those discomforts all shift long.

That's why y'all are getting hazard pay.

I was thinking more like polka music through a really tinny speaker. That's universal hatred, no matter what area of the country you are in.

Edit: The volume could range up and down, from off to loud, depending on what the guest count is. So TMs don't suffer too terribly much when there's not that many guests.

 

[Tarshitsucks]

My friend joined workers unite and shortly after that she was fired. Corporate doesn’t want anyone who openly has anything to do with that. That’s like giving them this🖕. They don’t care about the people and they would rather give you this🖕instead to fuck you over. They are only doing what makes them look good.

 

[Captain Orca]

Years ago someone tried it at Neptune. No takers. Not smart. Punch in head to the grindstone, push the stuff, punch out. Easy.

 

[Tessa120]

I personally think a union would be a good thing, but the laws around the ability to establish a union has been gutted since the friends in high places were bought and the friends in low places got nailed by RICO.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

I personally think a union would be a good thing, but the laws around the ability to establish a union has been gutted since the friends in high places were bought and the friends in low places got nailed by RICO.

I’m not anti union but I think target is not the place. We’re already getting paid over double federal minimum wage (well, officially at the end of 2020 we will be), have relatively good benefits for an entry level job, and not to mention target shuts down any store that even thnks about it.

 

[Tessa120]

That last part is what I mean, the ability to unionize has been gutted.

The rest, sometimes it's about protecting what you have. What if union negotiations managed to guarantee a minimum number of hours per week that's a lot better than 4, even during Q1, so that people have a far better chance to access those good benefits? What about the day that Target decides to lower the benefits to make the shareholders happy?

My daughter is part of a union and I got the sidelines view of it getting ugly recently and quick summary the workers won.

 

[jackandcat]

On the idea of getting guests to speeding up their shopping time during the COVID-19 crisis, I loved this response:

I was thinking more like polka music through a really tinny speaker. That's universal hatred, no matter what area of the country you are in. Edit: The volume could range up and down, from off to loud, depending on what the guest count is. So TMs don't suffer too terribly much when there's not that many guests.

As for the theoretical possibility of even mentioning the word "union", Corporate will not allow it. You can plan on "loveable Bullseye" morphing into a pair of brutal pit bulls accompanied by a pair of German Shepherds to injure anyone suspected of bringing the topic up. However, this isn't what you as a TM will see in your store. Your store will have the honor of hosting a couple of very nice, pleasant, caring "special human relations advisors" (a/k/a tactical response team) who use a "velvet glove" to individually educate you and your team mates on this issue, respond to your questions, and question you about your thoughts (to see if you are a possible union dissident). It's an approach which is increasingly common at many companies in the United States. Suffice to say that in terms of labor and employment law, the USA isn't Germany, Canada or France. If you want to be represented by a union, go get a job in the public sector where unions are very commonplace or in the retail stores which are already organized as Kroger. Don't risk your emotional sanity over-thinking this topic. Target is a career opportunity based on "employment at will", it's nothing more and nothing less. Going public via a "strike" will not end well for the TM who participates in same. There won't be a union at Target in our lifetimes.

I personally think a union would be a good thing, but the laws around the ability to establish a union has been gutted since the friends in high places were bought and the friends in low places got nailed by RICO.

not to mention target shuts down any store that even thnks about it

That last part is what I mean, the ability to unionize has been gutted.

My friend joined workers unite and shortly after that she was fired. Corporate doesn’t want anyone who openly has anything to do with that. That’s like giving them this🖕. They don’t care about the people and they would rather give you this🖕instead to fuck you over. They are only doing what makes them look good.

 

[happygoth]

@jackandcat is correct about union talk and what will happen, and it's been going on for decades. I worked for TJ Maxx in the very early 80s, and a group of us started talking union, even having a meeting after work at an employee's house. We were in agreement and I think the organizer was in contact with a union rep, and then the bigwigs started showing up with promises of wine and roses and the whole thing fell apart.

Similar thing happened at my second retail job but didn't get as far. Unionizing Target would take a massive effort.

 

[bikebryan]

Unions aren't the solutions to all you woes, and that is coming from a union steward. My BUEs think that we are there to make their problems go away, or make disciplinary actions go away. We are there to police the contract and bring new members in, because we are only as strong as our membership. I get people contacting me all the time about things they want us to "fix" only to get pissed off when I tell them it does not violate the contract and there's nothing we can do above what the employee themselves can do.

A union is only as strong as its contract with management. We have a master agreement that is over 200 pages. Do you think for one second Target would give you such an agreement?

 

[commiecorvus]

 

[balthrop]

we are essential test subjects in this new world this Brave New World. a world in which even Dr. Rieux would find our lot soundly lacking.

 

[balthrop]

Hank III could certainly keep the store clear of Karens if they played his stuff when he was with AssJack.
There would be folks like me hanging out all day so that might be a problem.

never could figure out what genre to put Hank III in other than Country Gutter Punk.

 

[commiecorvus]

never could figure out what genre to put Hank III in other than Country Gutter Punk.

When he is playing classic style, he sounds just like his grandfather.
He just tends to bring a knife to the party as well.

 

[flow4areasonuno]

never could figure out what genre to put Hank III in other than Country Gutter Punk.

He calls it Hellbilly, so...

 

[Tessa120]

my states computer systems have pretty much melted. great big ole pile of slag in the capital.

on a side note most of the problem with the computer systems in some states is the program languages that run said computers are pretty much dead languages and they are trying to find retirees who ran the things back in the day.

I received an email yesterday I think (the days blur together now) that made me think of this post. Color and snips are mine:

Subject: IMPORTANT - Update from the Maryland Department of Labor's Division of Unemployment Insurance

The Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Unemployment Insurance sincerely apologizes for the difficulties surrounding applications for unemployment insurance benefits. The launch of the new online BEACON One-Stop application was intended to offer Marylanders the opportunity to quickly and easily file all types of claims and weekly certifications entirely online 24/7. The launch of the site has clearly fallen short.

<snip>

In order to implement the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) programs in a timely manner, we recently partnered with Sagitec, an outside benefits administration program vendor. If we had attempted to program our older system to accept applications for the CARES Act, it would have taken weeks, if not months. This was not an option. We want to make sure that all eligible Marylanders receive the benefits they need and deserve as soon as possible.

We were hopeful that our partnership with the vendor would provide rapid solutions. Instead, it has caused a series of challenges for applicants. The vendor’s platform could not sustain the volume of visitors to the site. This was not acceptable, and we are taking immediate actions to fix these problems.

<snip>

In order to prevent the overload of the system that users have experienced, we have introduced a virtual waiting line. By entering this system, you will be able to see how many individuals are waiting for site access, receive an estimated wait time that is constantly updated, and sign-up to receive an email when the system is ready for you to access the platform. This will provide more certainty about when you will receive assistance, but, more importantly, it will help ensure the capacity problems the platform experienced in the past do not reoccur.

We anticipate that, despite the waiting time, the process of filing your claim and certifications will proceed more smoothly because of the limitation on the number of people able to file at a given time.

<snip>

That last part, if you get up early in the morning you have a decent chance of being able to get on in an hour. Later in the day....well one day I was nearly the 149,000 person in virtual line. And you only get 10 minutes at a time so if you run out of time you have to get back in virtual line.

Stay Connected with the Maryland Department of Labor​

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I want to see how many folks do this action. Not me.

 

[Reshop Ninja]

I received an email yesterday I think (the days blur together now) that made me think of this post. Color and snips are mine:



That last part, if you get up early in the morning you have a decent chance of being able to get on in an hour. Later in the day....well one day I was nearly the 149,000 person in virtual line. And you only get 10 minutes at a time so if you run out of time you have to get back in virtual line.

​

Stay Connected with the Maryland Department of Labor​

Geez, it's like the notification for a log in queue you get in mmorpgs after a major update. Yikes!

 

[allnew2]

For those of you who haven't taken history or political science classes in a few years, here's why this so-called "Mass Sickout" is on Friday, May 1st.

Since 1886, May 1st is observed by socialists and communists as International Workers Day, Communist May Day, Labor (Labour) Day, or May Day. Labor union advocates originally created these days .

In nations like the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, People's Republic of China and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (which in theory govern as advocates and protectors of workers rights - i.e. "dictatorship of the proletariat"), May Day observances include marches and parades claiming to represent accomplishments of workers and their victory over capitalism, plus celebrating their nation's military might in standing up against so-called capitalist, fascist and imperialist aggressors.

In many other nations including most of the EU, at the behest of labor activists, May 1st is widely observed as the Labor Day legal holiday. It's a civil holiday, NOT specifically for political or ideological purposes. In Canada and the United States, Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September. Ironically, unlike the EU countries where Labor Day is widely observed, in the USA most retail stores including Target are open for business on Labor Day. Target store TMs earn time-and-a-half for hours worked on the Labor Day holiday.

Hopefully this explains the timing of the so-called "Mass Sickout". P.S. Just to be clear, very few labor union members or activists are "socialists" or "communists". This is not meant to be "red baiting" against union advocates. Socialist and communist groups tend to interject themselves into labor movement issues as part of their ideological agenda.

Glad to see someone from US know what May Day is all about . I am from one of those communist countries. Bravo to you

 

[oath2order]

Today 📅📅📅 is MAY DAY 👷❗️❗️👷 Most people 👥👥 are forced to work 🔨📞💻 for PROFIT 💲💹💹🏧 but I would work 🔨📞💻 for YOU 👦 👧 because YOU'RE MY COMRADE 💪👬👭💂❗️❗️ Send 📨📧 to 5 comrades who appreciate 😊👍 your LABOR 🔨🔧 or be EXPLOITED 💵💰🚨🚓 by the BOURGEOISIE 🚬🔫🔪💸💸💸❗️

 

[Ologius]

My store only gives hazard pay if you actually contract Covid-19, but they still insist on you taking 2 weeks off even if your test is negative. What they won’t tell you is you won’t be paid for this time. Pisses me off. I used to stand with Target but they have changed as a company internally and in general so much from when I started decades ago. Nixed overtime, 3rd shift pay stops at 6am, management turnover is incredibly high and the person is always younger and new. They start all fresh but get burnt out by Target in about 2 years. It used to make me sad to see the company slowly turning into KMart but now I see it’s run by greedy bottom line people who have no real knowledge or care for their employees, only about finding ways to make the stock look good.

 

[Ologius]

Target employees can't strike - you have no union. You can walk out, or not come to work, and be fired.

I remember when Target would hold a yearly meeting to scare you into not trying to unionize. I understand firing someone who consistently calls out or is late (which my store early does, these people stay on for months or years until let go), but to fire an employee who never calls out, yet does this one important day? Only would prove that Target doesn’t value the health or care of it’s employees, like that damn recording says 20 times a day.

 

[qmosqueen]

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