Recently graduated from University and worked at Loblaws while I was there. When I was hired I was told that I could expect 20 - 25 hours a week if I made myself available. Well, after a year and a half of work (never missing a shift) I graduated and went to full availability. I was lucky to get more than 10 hours a week while my co-workers in my department were getting 20+ hours a week, even the kid still in high school and unavailable to work days got more hours per week than I did.After discussing this with my department manager, and being assured that it was the union's seniority rules and nothing he was doing personally, I made myself available in 3 other departments to get more hours. With the recent hour cutbacks though (more work, less time to do it in) there are simply no hours anywhere if you haven't been working there for 10+ years. Despite the fact I was relegated to the shifts that other people simply didn't want (late night sundays & Fridays, early morning Saturdays) I was still expected to be as skilled, and motivated, at the job as the employees that had been there for 35+ years who were making more money than I was, and getting all the choice shifts.I'm not sure why I paid union dues as the union did nothing about this, and the employee taking 30 - 35 hours a week was the union rep for the store so I had no-one to complain about it to. Sub-poverty wages, unrealistic expectations, non-existant growth potential if you're stuck in a department filled with life'rs, and an increasing workload make for an absolutely horrid existence. I walked out mid-shift and suggest anyone who can afford to do the same.
Each department is given a set number of hours from head office based on projections of expected revenue.The top 10% of the department are guaranteed 28 hours/week, if they want them.Each employee must have 4 hours of work per week whenever possible, i.e. the last employee may steal a shift from the second last employee to ensure this rule is followed. These rules can be deviated from due to days booked off by an employee.No employee is to be scheduled for more than (either 28 or 32) hours per week. Call-ins supersede this up to 40 hours.One of the few seniority benefits is better shift times, however, everyone is entitled to the 3rd weekend off after 2 weekends worked(consecutively) which does not affect your weekly scheduled hours. I am sorry, but it is anything but a hard job, and it really does not take long to master. You make less because you have less time in. You are expected to meet company standards not everyone else's standards.I agree though, the Union is terrible, the wages are horrid, the expectations are unrealistic and short sighted. There is lots of opportunity for growth, if you have a good relationship(i.e. work well, hard and dedicated) with your managers. That opportunity is found on the Loblaw site.The kid in high school was higher on the schedule, and thus got shifts before you. We all started at the bottom. My first year I picked up one 4 or 5 hour shift a week. By the time I was finished I had 20 hours between january and march (slow time). Because I did my time.