Just an opinion

Want a family life, respect, and appreciation for a hard days work, or basic fairness FORGET IT AT LOBLAWS MAPLEGROVE. I tried working for small companies and thought some of the common problems there like favouritism, unsteady work and common bad business practices were too much, until I tried working for this big company. Despite the fact this warehouse has a union! If you’re considering working for this company consider the following first… and keep reading RME

1. Company shares have dropped from roughly 75 $ a share in 2005, too a measly 27$ in July 2008.

2. Have closed down multiple warehouses over the past few years. Ongoing Distribution problems.

3. Have gone third party on there newest warehouse in AJAX Ontario. Guess they didn’t learn anything from previous experience? Btw ( AJAX top rate of 17$ an hr, reduced from 22+ at Maplegrove)

4. Have not offered any pay increases in over 10 yrs, except for signing bonuses ( mostly taken by the tax man)

5. Reduction of overtime, increase in employees (Ridiculous turnover rates)

6. Have Wal-Mart moving in on there market share with plans of opening another 50 stores nationally to include groceries in 2008 alone.

7. higher cost of transportation( Fuel)

8. decreasing profit margins due to higher prices on most goods and competition from Wal-Mart and Metro Inc. ( Loblaws recently dropped prices to match there discount store prices thus lowing profits, article link below)

9. 1,000 head office employees were fired.

10. See what other employees are saying www.ratemyemployer.ca

11. Seems most contracts expire in 2010 coincidence or a plan for more changes then? Squeeze play to get lower wages at Maplegrove, or threaten Third party again, I don’t think Ajax will be anywhere near up to par by then, so who knows what’s planned or how it will play out.

12. If you want to work days forget a weekend off, it will take years to get both Sat/Sun off. If you’re willing to work nights the best shifts are Sunday-Thursday or Monday-Friday. (Possible OT) Try planning something with the family on the weekend and you‘re suffering for it, either exhausted with the family, or pay for it your first shift back due to fatigue.

Recent news has shown large increases in fuel costs, & higher cost of goods, so it makes me wonder how they will increase profits when being squeezed from all angles.

It looks like they have very tough times ahead not to mention pay cuts. After all they think they can replace anyone for cheaper labour. Consider it if they go third party and reduce wages 5$ an hour, they stand to save thousands per hour in labour. Seems like there only way to reduce costs, or do as Wal-mart and buy from China. Either way it results in decent paying Canadian jobs being lost.

If they think a third party company can handle its new Ajax warehouse it’s not likely, they have no experience dealing with produce and its short shelf life for 1. More bare shelves to come. Third party will hurt all involved, from employees to investors and to the business as a whole.