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I have a really hard time feeling sorry for this person.
Now the question is, does increased scrutiny of an employees actions or performance constitute retaliation? I mean, that's usually what happens when a company wants to terminate an employee for one reason or another. If you've ever managed anyone, you're likely familiar with the tact usually recommended by the people in your HR department: when you want to get rid of someone, make sure you have a paper trail of offenses. This seems like this gentleman's paper trail.
If everyone at New Seasons is stealing tofu, and one person gets singled out and is fired for it, does that count as discrimination? It seems like it does, but a rule/law is still being broken.
And I hardly see how strong arm union thug tactics make Brady look bad - quite the opposite if you know anything about their management.
Who exactly are the greedy ones here?
Anyway, this one gentleman kept asking Eileen about this firing. Even though she repeatedly was letting the guy know that SHE DOESN'T WORK FOR NEW SEASONS, he kept pushing the issue. It reminded me how idiotic most people are.
Anyway, Eileen has won points with me on this one. She handled herself well - while reaching out to people she doesn't even need for her campaign (the inner SE crusty hippie set). Red and Black employees are just the worst.
It's not whining to say you haven't had a raise in 3 years (or 5 years), it's a symptom of how completely stagnant wage growth has become, especially relevant to inflation.
Why isn't it a valid point to say "you have the money to open a new store every year, but no money to give long-term employees periodic (and tiny) cost-of-living raises?"
The answer is that NS has no reason to value these people since there are a jillion overeducated quality workers ready to take the jobs of employees like Ryan when he's fired.
The only answer to NS answer? Unions!
It's just Capitalism 101 that collective action is the only thing that makes it potentially unprofitable for a large company to screw 1000 people out of a dollar each.
AS NEAR AS I CAN TELL, NEW SEASONS'S HR AND MANAGEMENT ARE INCOMPETENT AT DEALING WITH PROBLEM EMPLOYEES THEY DON'T LIKE.
Seems like the dude should have just paid for his tofu.
"Jewelry & Other Personal Adornments
... Nothing of a political nature"
and i am over this nonsense "you just be thankful you have a job and be a-ok with no raise, etc" bul.
watching your income become stagnant and shrink in buying power while your company grow? yes, you have a right to be pissed.
on the other hand, it is good to know that when i'm ready to exploit someone, there are plenty of blogtown commenters for me to choose from.
And by union thug actions I mean patterns of repeated harassment by very powerful labor corporations. Yes - corporations.
Secondly, operational expenses are in a different pool than labor capital.
'NS has no reason to value these people'
If you've ever had or worked as an employee you would realize how ridiculous (and illegal) that statement sounds.
I support unions in theory, but whenever I've been in one, I have resented it. If you are a good worker it just amounts to a chunk out of your paycheck every month.
I have also been in a couple of workplaces while the unioning effort was underway. In both cases, the main drivers of the process were problematic coworkers that most people didn't like. They had been disciplined by management previously for being screw-ups. Their response was to get defensive.
I agree with Chuck and Blabby here.
Employers looking to get rid of someone eventually find their way to do it. I hardly believe it was just a single tofu theft that got him axed.
But there's the problem, if you are going to make problems for management, you better have your shit straight - really straight - or you'll end up out on your ass.
it seems to me he is learning a hard lesson here.
Conform.... conform....conform....
unless i already had those lying around, and seeing as i was fired for stealing tofu, i probably did
The Black Dragon Noodle Bowl is affordable and tasty. They also have kombucha on tap.
For more background information on our campaign for increased workers' rights at New Seasons Market, please visit our website at: newseasonsmarketworkersvoice.org
The grim staff can't even muster up a smile? WTF?
As much as I can't stand phoney corporate greetings from folks made to do it, I also can't stand this 'too cool to smile' shit.
Mel - companies cannot force the employees to be non-union. The employees have to take the intiative and do it themselves. Perhaps the working conditions, pay and bennies are not so bad that a majority of them wish to fork over money to a union?
It also seems to me that after 10 years there, one would have moved into a salaried position and if one chose not to - well - free choice - the pay scale is what it is.
It is hard to get a job there because so many people want to work there. There has to be a reason for that besides multiple free samples at work.
Interesting timing as Eileen Brady is running for Mayor. Especially since she does not work there.
I did work with her at Nature's - I found her to be open, committed to taking care of people, willing to take risks and stand up for what she believed to be right while managing to keep the bottom line in mind. I fully support her candidacy.
I don't know what happened in this situation with Ryan getting fired.
I think it is hard to get fired from New Seasons. I see plenty of faces working there who have been there for years. I see plenty of behavior that indicates to me that people are confident they will not lose their jobs easily.
I see New Seasons contributing to the larger community in multiple ways that likely do not serve the bottom line as well as if they did not.
We will see how it plays out.
It will take more than this to persuade me not to support NSM with my business.
Whole Foods Market. Better pay, better bennies, and profit sharing more than twice a year. But thanks for asking. Oh, and maybe you should check out Trader Joes wage scales.