Archived There needs to be a company wide strike

[commiecorvus]

I know right. I had a pretty interesting chat with my hr when she refused a wheelchair bound gal who is a regular at our store to even apply. Apparently becuse our store is not ada accessible they can do that. Which is questionable to me because they could have made reasonable accomadations in my opinion if they cared to. Supposedly with our remodel coming up they will bring the store into ada compliance but yeah. This place angers me on the sense they allow the buildings structure as an excuse to refuse hiring people.

She can't do that.
If the person using a wheelchair can shop in the store they can work in the store.
The store has to be accessible, period full stop.
Not accepting the application is discrimination and if she was a properly trained HR person she would fucking know better.
People using wheelchairs are used to figuring out how to get around barriers, so minor adjustments can often fix problems.
Fuck people who do stuff like that.
They are the reason there is an over 50% unemployment rate for people with disabilities.

On the subject of the stores performancing out people with disabilities and older folk.
I kind of held off on getting into this but here goes.

Spot would not make a policy of this on the corporate level for all the reasons people have pointed out, bad optics, fear of lawsuits, etc.
However they have set up the circumstances that have led to the problem by making a series of poor decisions.

1) For way too many years they have chosen management based on a certain type, young, eager, straight out of college, types who often have little, to no management experience (so Spot can train them their way). Some of these people shouldn't be managing a Dollar Store much less a Target.

2) They have allowed ASANTS as long as the stores made money.

3) They had no policies to encourage the hiring and support of people with disabilities within their stores.

4) They skimped on their training for managers and HR when it came to ADA and working with people with disabilities.

5) And finally, MODERNIZATION!!!!

6) Spot has made it clear that everybody had better get on board and make it work. This means do whatever it takes, they don't care.

These things led to some stores being the decent places to work that some people have reported because they have good management who go out of their way to do what is right even in the face of modernization. But take a combination of 1,2,3,4 and you get exactly what the other posters are talking about.
This is a perfect storm of fuckery.

A walkout would draw attention to the problem, true enough but it would take a lot of organization, something I don't see happening.
The one trump card to the arbitration bullshit in the new hire paperwork when it comes to lawsuits is disability discrimination.
If enough people can prove that Spot will have to change their policies.

 

[Fyi]

Thanks @commiecorvus for your input, I agree on all points.

Not allowing a person in a wheelchair to even apply is insane and ANOTHER example of the things this company does.

I realize organizing a walkout is slim but you never know, it does seem like te majority of people on the board would be for it.

If someone could draft a press release or something similar that would be very helpful.

 

[AllAtTarget]

Yes, and no one here is trying to say that those things NEVER happen. My issue with this thread is that things are being said that make it seem like the whole entire company is somehow trying to get rid of people they think are worthless to their cause. I have met my group director exactly one time. As a leader I can tell you right now that not once have the words “performance out older team members or disabled team members” ever been uttered in my building. And you can choose not to believe that statement because I’m a “big bad team lead” who is only concerned with myself, and doesn’t care about his team at all. And if those words are ever uttered in my building, I would feel a moral obligation to stand up to them and tell them it isn’t happening. And failing that, I would quit. In fact that is the only way I would quit working here, because I could not stand by and watch that sort of thing happen at my store.

To be honest, I know you speak in good faith and with good attention, and to be 100%, I think what is happen to target isn't a overnight take over. But a virus that is slowly cover the company and may really not be showing in your area of the company yet, but will eventually. Because good heart leadership like yourself are beginning to quit randomly, like the police department. Even dtls and up are beginning to randomly quit 😮 (this part is really beginning to shock me personally) some have actually stated they don't agree with the way target is going.

Target is a retail competitor and they completely closely with Amazon, Wal-Mart, and other big retailers and as sad as it sounds or as much as we'd like to think no not the trust bullseye, Wal-Mart just got in trouble for abusing disablited employees, by even removing position they could reasonably keep. Don't get me wrong a business has every right to make their own decisions, but I Imagine it can hurt if that decision Says in simplicity 'forget you and your 15 years of loyal slave work, even if you're disabled because of us, May the last couple days of your life be quick and easy'

All in all, I agree with you, it's not the whole of target, but I do think like a computer virus, target is fatally sick and the virus is spreading and will eventually kill it the same way Kmart was killed, but hey at least USA target will go down beautifully looking like a JC Penny(amazing soft lines with music), Barnes and Noble (kids books), and a beautiful beauty bar. But as Kmart went, when you are a employer, your direct responsibility is your workers, who when treated right take amazing care of your customer 💟💟💟💟

 

[Kartman]

What can a person in a wheelchair do at Target? Only answer the phone? We had a one-armed fellow in hardlines once - he lasted about 2 weeks.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

What can a person in a wheelchair do at Target? Only answer the phone? We had a one-armed fellow in hardlines once - he lasted about 2 weeks.

They can do a lot. I watched a mobile chaired tm do cashiering

 

[commiecorvus]

What can a person in a wheelchair do at Target? Only answer the phone? We had a one-armed fellow in hardlines once - he lasted about 2 weeks.

Depending on their education they could do all of the management positions or HR with no changes.
As @Hardlinesmaster they can work register.
Many of the jobs could be adapted to their capacities, electronics is a great example
I think you would be surprised at what someone in a wheelchair is capable of.

 

[Kartman]

Yes, it would surprise me.

 

[commiecorvus]

I work with people in wheelchairs every day.
Nothing surprises me about what they can do.

 

[ConsumablesSrTl]

What can a person in a wheelchair do at Target? Only answer the phone? We had a one-armed fellow in hardlines once - he lasted about 2 weeks.

My STL is in a wheelchair.

 

[phibot]

My STL is in a wheelchair.

Excuse me what's a STL? Is that a fancy term for SD?

 

[bikebryan]

A short-term strike sends a powerful message to management, dramatizing workers’ anger and determination.

I recently participated in a day long picket (by law we cannot "strike" but can picket so long as we do not stop on the property or due it while on duty time). Although we did get largely favorable press and comment, as time goes on more and more comments were aimed along the lines of "you should be working not walking the line." And regardless of all the favorable press and comments, management did not change a thing.

 

[NPC]

I work with people in wheelchairs every day.
Nothing surprises me about what they can do.

Why the fuck would these professional athletes work at Target?

 

[Black Sheep 214]

Excuse me what's a STL? Is that a fancy term for SD?

STL is the title recently replaced by SD, which is a (at least) 40 year old title recycled from another company that was mismanaged into liquidation by what seemed at that time to be the worst management on Earth. How appropriate that it has been brought back now by Spot...

 

[Aredhel]

All I got out of this is that you’re salty about some guy that made $19,000,000 because you work on the bottom end of retail.

You work in retail man, you can easily find a comparable job in today’s job market. Shit has historically always been this way. The only difference between today and the past is that today everyone is a special snowflake that deserves a piece of someone else’s pay that they didn’t earn.

Which justifies it all.

 

[commiecorvus]

In West Virginia, a state where teacher aren't allowed to strike, they did anyway.
They managed to kill a bill that would have paved the way for charter schools and private school vouchers.

West Virginia's Education Bill Dies As Teachers Strike - https://www.npr.org/2019/02/19/695856032/w-va-teachers-go-on-strike-over-state-education-bill

 

[Aredhel]

😅 Your store is staffed be retired NFL players or what. Rarely do see elderly TM capable of toting heavy things up the ladder or pushing some ridiculous unsafe flat full of beverage

Bite me. Not hateful. I did the work Will you?

 

[Fyi]

Back on topic - how would everyone suggest the best way to try to organize a walkout would be?

 

[Kartman]

First step - hint at free pizza!

 

[Llamanatee]

I had an interesting conversation with another team member that’s been at Target long enough to have a pension about what if everyone that had a pension left around the same time and wanted their money paid out. I like to assume that Target invests this money and doesn’t have it all readily available to pay out. I have no business education but I wonder if it would even phase them at all to have to shell out all that money at once.

 

[Tessa120]

Pensions are held separately because too many businesses did what you said and used it for investments and the money was long gone when the retirees were supposed to get it. Paying out shouldn't be a financial hardship unless Target broke some laws.

 

[Llamanatee]

Pensions are held separately because too many businesses did what you said and used it for investments and the money was long gone when the retirees were supposed to get it. Paying out shouldn't be a financial hardship unless Target broke some laws.

Yeah, I was thinking it might be somewhere separately but you never know. 🤷🏾‍♀️

 

[seasonaldude]

Yeah, I was thinking it might be somewhere separately but you never know. 🤷🏾‍♀️

I looked it up. There is a trust fund for it. The money is likely in investments. That's how pensions work. Money is invested so that the fund can grow and the company has to pay less into the fund. This normally works OK as long as the expected return on the investments is reasonable (it often isn't). And, as long as there isn't a gigantic stock market crash as in the financial collapse.

Pension funds are some of the biggest institutional shareholders. They have a lot of weight to throw around if they want. When people complain about companies having to meet shareholders' demands it isn't just the Richie Richs of the world that are demanding immediate profits over long term growth. It's also the large public sector employees' pension fund managers who can make or break a company on the stock market.

The system's a spook.

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

Yes, and no one here is trying to say that those things NEVER happen. My issue with this thread is that things are being said that make it seem like the whole entire company is somehow trying to get rid of people they think are worthless to their cause. I have met my group director exactly one time. As a leader I can tell you right now that not once have the words “performance out older team members or disabled team members” ever been uttered in my building. And you can choose not to believe that statement because I’m a “big bad team lead” who is only concerned with myself, and doesn’t care about his team at all. And if those words are ever uttered in my building, I would feel a moral obligation to stand up to them and tell them it isn’t happening. And failing that, I would quit. In fact that is the only way I would quit working here, because I could not stand by and watch that sort of thing happen at my store.

Well I for one heard those exact words come out of my wormy STLs mouth during a TL meeting 14 other people heard it also. Add overweight to that in his statement too. That one damn statement is why I walked myself right out the door and promoted myself to guest. Do I think its being said in every store? Of course not. But it happened in mine and I did not give one damn shit about being over 20 years in. The ethics in this company are gone, period. I left with my integrity intact and my head held high. I documented all of it in my online exit interview. And I know for a fact the mealy mouth used car salesman STL "clarified" his statement the very next week to the remaining TLs.

 

[Fyi]

Well I for one heard those exact words come out of my wormy STLs mouth during a TL meeting 14 other people heard it also. Add overweight to that in his statement too. That one damn statement is why I walked myself right out the door and promoted myself to guest. Do I think its being said in every store? Of course not. But it happened in mine and I did not give one damn shit about being over 20 years in. The ethics in this company are gone, period. I left with my integrity intact and my head held high. I documented all of it in my online exit interview. And I know for a fact the mealy mouth used car salesman STL "clarified" his statement the very next week to the remaining TLs.

There’s definitely a lot examples of this type of thing going on

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Well I for one heard those exact words come out of my wormy STLs mouth during a TL meeting 14 other people heard it also. Add overweight to that in his statement too. That one damn statement is why I walked myself right out the door and promoted myself to guest. Do I think its being said in every store? Of course not. But it happened in mine and I did not give one damn shit about being over 20 years in. The ethics in this company are gone, period. I left with my integrity intact and my head held high. I documented all of it in my online exit interview. And I know for a fact the mealy mouth used car salesman STL "clarified" his statement the very next week to the remaining TLs.

I am sorry. @tellmeaboutatime