["God, how I hate this job," Kathy said…]

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By WEINSTEIN A few weeks ago, I ran into my friend Kathy, who works for Safeway as a checker. She looked so down that I invited her over for a visit, and this is her story. Her name is changed because she wants to quit her job instead of getting fired.

"God, how I hate this job," Kathy said. "I am going to quit because I really can't stand it anymore. We checkers are treated like serfs instead of workers. I've been working at Safeway as a checker for nine-and-a-half years. It will be 10 years in July, and it's never been so bad.

"When I first started working there, I liked it. The pay was good and so were the health Behind the lines benefits. When you worked in the same store, you got to know all your fellow workers and we used to stick together.

"It has changed just since our last contract, three years ago, when we got the two-tier wage system. [Checkers have the most seniority and make the highest wage.] Everyone I talked to said they were going to vote against the two-tier contract."

Mail-in ballot

"We went to the union hall and voted. But the counters said, 'It was too close to call." We had to vote again, this time, with a mail-in ballot. That vote was overwhelming for the contract.

"Now really, I have not talked to one Safeway worker who said they voted for that contract. But here we are with the two-tier.

"Safeway is expanding all its non-groceries sections-flowers, bakery, drugs, and deli. All of those new 'general-merchandise clerks' earn less than we checkers. In fact, the most they can make is $9.50 per hour, no matter how many years they work.

"There were hard feelings between the new-hires and us. Management told the generalmerchandise clerks not to talk to us, that we would make things hard for them.

"It was a while before we could become friends with the baggers. They resented us because they were working for the minimum wage, about $5.35 an hour, and we were making over $13.

"Safeway began to yank the checkers around. They began to move us all over the city. No matter how long we had worked at a store, they can transfer us without notice. You are working with workers you don't know, and that leads toward distrust instead of unity.

"They can change our hours. I'm forced to work from 12 midnight till 8 a.m. with no increase in pay. You are always ASS MANAGER K.A. EGOR recial 6 PK. Pepsi 12 07 CARS (DIET)

Regular on call, even on your day off. When Safeway calls, you go in.

Increased surveillance "Management has increased its surveillance of the checkers. If they catch you talking to a fellow checker, they will call on the service phone and demand that you quit talking or they will write you up.

"In fact, we are watched so close that the only time we can talk is when we're in the bathroom. Even then, we check all the toilets before we speak. When it comes to its workers, Safeway doesn't believe in its Hally X 1-800- Farms 5916 BUST. A -CHECKER slogan, 'Since we're lets be friends.' "Checkers are complaining of more injuries. The people who design the stores never were checkers. In fact, I don't think they've ever shopped in a store. We're getting wrist injuries [carpal-tunnel syndrome] because of the constant moving of groceries over the price scanner.

"We're supposed to spend a maximum of two hours behind the checkstand but are never relieved when we're supposed to be because of the shortage of checkers. So we're stuck until management finds a replacement for relief time. It's painful on your legs and back when you're forced to stand in a two-foot hole for two hours and longer.

"I have a lot of complaints about the union. It is not democratic. But I would not be without it. Without the union we would be helpless. At least we have the union to protect us against some of the worst faults of management. I just wish the union would act stronger and faster."

Well, that, my friends, is Kathy's story. If there are any workers reading this who are thinking of signing a two-tier contract-think again. Organize, don't agonize.

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Service Pluss