Comments on: Union protesters greet opening of latest Aldi’s store

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:16:09 +0000

I am not sure what to think. . . as a manager, the more stores that open, the less my bonus is. It is a fact! My cart average goes down too and I am making less in 2009 then I did in 08 or 07. How is that fair? I have been with aldi for over 9 years! Would the Union help then?

By: micheal

micheal — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:12:46 +0000

I work at Aldi’s as a cashier.. my benefits are incredible, and my hourly wage is 1/3 more than it would be working for a union grocer. Also, I have a 401k, pension plan, and excellent disability insurance. If Aldi goes union, I will leave

By: Deb

Deb — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:59:44 +0000

I am a 789 Union member. I just took a paycut from 15.90 an hour to 13.55. I worked hard to be promoted to modified full time. I had to be demoted along with several others in my situation so my company could lay off some of the part time workers. Union rules. I have no choice as to weather I recieve health benefits in leiu of pay. I could get those through my husband.

I have seen time and time again management afraid to fire employees with issues such as verbal abuse of other employees, ignoring customers, not being able to get work done on time(taking more than 3 x longer than the other employees to do the same job). They would just be forced to take them back. However the union blames that on poor management, that has not been my experience.

I want a job at Aldi’s. I would definately vote down a union.

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:34:13 +0000

A few nice points Christopher with the exception of getting a national health care system.
To those of you out there unfamiliar with poor service and bureaucracy, please visit any Veterans Administration hospital or go to Canada and check out their hospitals.

By: Christopher

Christopher — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:15:07 +0000

I appreciate that America owes a 40 hour work week and safe work environments to Labor Union. Today we need to take the burden of worker rights OFF the inconsistent shoulders of a mish mash of special interest Unions around the country and enact Federal laws that set a minimum wage appropriate to cost of living indicators and worker rights, safety etc. Also a single payer National Health System would eliminate the need for Unions to fight for “a privileged few”.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:27:19 +0000

Ah, Rok, you make life interesting. I always find it interesting when the mindless make baseless accusations. I went to every union meeting we had that was open to the bargaining unit membership. I also provided support to our third shift shop steward who was also on the negotiating board for our contract. I was also the guy who had to explain to a lifetime union guy why the current contract we were going to vote on was a bad contract for us (we should have been in a crafts union which I tried explaining to this guy. Instead, everyone in the company was in the Teamsters, leaving us (all twelve mechanics) at the mercy of what the production and warehouse crews wanted to do. The contract at the time involved participatory health care co-pay. Since the warehouse had a 90% turnover over three years (the life of the contract) the clause of “grandfathering” our healthcare (those ratifying the contract would not be subject to a co-pay) would be gone in three years as those in the warehouse would then outnumber us. So, sadly your baseless branding me shows how truly ignorant of the facts you truly are.

By: Rok

Rok — Sat, 16 May 2009 03:25:16 +0000

Rick,

You’re an arrogant turd. I’ve met a thousand like you and I know I’ll meet a thousand more like you before I go toes-up.

I’ll be willing to bet you never attended so much as a membership meeting. I’m willing to bet you were never involved with your union beyond knowing you were part of a collective bargaining agreement. Your union is a participatory democracy, but I’ll bet you never even bothered to show-up.

But, yet, you complain about unions as though you’re an absolute authority because you had 3.5 years as a Teamster. Wow! Hold-on, there, Old-timer!

You don’t know s*#! about unions, so shut your flapping grape.

By: RickDFL

RickDFL — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:28:12 +0000

Rick
“The perception of a large amount of Americans is unions have lost their place”
Please do some research:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/112717/Americans-Remain-Broadly-Supportive-Labor-Unions.aspx
Americans remain broadly supportive of labor unions, as they have been over the past seven decades, including a 59% approval rating for unions in Gallup’s most recent update from August.

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:39:53 +0000

Bernie, pleasure seeing someone actually involved with this write in. Thank you!
Here’s the scoop and a little about me. Teamster for 3 1/2 years as a packaging line mechanic. Front line supervisor for 5 years union/non union shops. Your statement about “hostility towards the labor movement” may be warranted in some sectors, but not all. The perception of a large amount of Americans is unions have lost their place. I don’t entirely agree with that, but my encounters over the years would tend to make me lean that way. In my current job back as a line mechanic, I feel I am compensated quite well for my job as a craftsman. And I actually have a higher wage than my union counterparts. We are paid individually, which is based on merit. The company provides a generous 6% match to my 401k. Medical/dental is co-payed for my entire family. I don’t understand why ALDI is being targeted by your union except of course to increase your membership. The Federal Government’s labor law makes it illegal for companies to target/discipline workers trying to organize, so what’s the purpose of
Mr. Seaquist standing outside of ALDI? If the workers want to unionize they’ll hand out cards to authorize a vote. Seems pretty simple to me.

By: Bernie Hesse

Bernie Hesse — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:07:32 +0000

Wow, it is really hard to respond to all articulate,well thought out stuff from folks on the right. The bottom line is we are seeking a meeting with the company, we want a neutral setting to discuss a labor peace agreement, and ultimately the workers have the final say. But I wonder why all the hostility towards the labor movement? Has the move towards individualism or letting the market work done much for the average working person? People need to get over their anger and think about the common good. Peace out.