General Discussion

dflprincess

(28,100 posts)

127. I worked at a union grocery store through high school & college as a part time cashier

Wed Sep 27, 2023, 10:16 PM

Sep 2023

we were guaranteed 15 hours a week but usually worked 19 or 20. We couldn't go over 20 more than one (maybe two) weeks in a month to protect full time job.

I started in 1970 making $2.70/hour & was the envy of all my friends. When I left seven years later I think I was making almost $8/hr. I managed to pay all my bills (including rent) and even swung tuition for most the time, though, in the end I did wind up with about $2,000 in loans (which I thought was awful). The only thing I couldn't manage to cover was a car.

There were a lot of things that needed changing back then but as the OP said labor was valued. Once Reagan was elected it all started to go down hill.

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In 1981, I was a full time stock clerk at an Ohio Big Bear grocery store making 12.60 an hour [View all] maxrandb Sep 2023 OP

I remember Big Bear MichMan Sep 2023 #1

They sold out in 2004 Maeve Sep 2023 #5

I shopped there for years and the one in Grandview. sinkingfeeling Sep 2023 #22

No! And it's a typical 1980s story maxrandb Sep 2023 #8

Penn Traffic leveraged a buyout and straddled Big Bear with debt maxrandb Sep 2023 #20

This is the pattern of private equity - they have already destroyed 2 hospitals for low-income Stargazer99 Sep 2023 #49

That was good money back then LiberaBlueDem Sep 2023 #2

That was excellent money back then. marble falls Sep 2023 #14

Agree that was high wages Golfnbrew Sep 2023 #90

It's more than I was making, and I figured I was doing pretty good. Midnight Writer Sep 2023 #71

It was good money, the federal minimum wage was. 3.35 per hour in 1981. nt ShazamIam Sep 2023 #79

minimum wage was 3.35 in 1990 RANDYWILDMAN Sep 2023 #123

Here is the .gov chart, it was 3.80 in 1990, link below ShazamIam Sep 2023 #135

I checked my records it was 89 and then oregon went to 4.75 in 1990 RANDYWILDMAN Sep 2023 #136

I retired 15 years ago and was looking for something to kill time. That was before I joined the 3Hotdogs Sep 2023 #3

Hah NJCher Sep 2023 #133

They have since been bought out by Acme. Quality is still good. 3Hotdogs Sep 2023 #134

In 1989, I was on Shore Duty following 5 years of Sea Duty maxrandb Oct 2023 #137

My teachers' union was powerful. When I retired, we were the second highest paid district in the 3Hotdogs Oct 2023 #138

Where we shopped when I was a kid in Columbus. Floyd R. Turbo Sep 2023 #4

Love the fastback Mustang! SilasSouleII Sep 2023 #67

It is sweet! Floyd R. Turbo Sep 2023 #69

I remember that sign; must have been the last thing to go! Backseat Driver Sep 2023 #113

Cub foods is long gone! True Blue American Sep 2023 #117

That store was on High around 6th. Unfortunately the ride was not mine. Floyd R. Turbo Sep 2023 #118

My kid lived nearby there when she finally fledged. Backseat Driver Sep 2023 #131

Finance capitalism is not sustainable sanatanadharma Sep 2023 #6

👍 Joinfortmill Sep 2023 #33

The French in the 1700,s had a damn good solution to the problem Stargazer99 Sep 2023 #52

Its a lesson that is obviously ignored by those in power. bullimiami Sep 2023 #75

Multiply your story MOMFUDSKI Sep 2023 #7

I can relate to your story. William769 Sep 2023 #9

As I recall Diamond_Dog Sep 2023 #10

Just wait until robotics and artificial intelligence,... magicarpet Sep 2023 #11

A win-win, as far as elites are concerned peppertree Sep 2023 #15

Yup Joinfortmill Sep 2023 #34

This message was self-deleted by its author Joinfortmill Sep 2023 #35

+1 n/t area51 Sep 2023 #41

Excellent post. Should be an OP on its own LittleGirl Sep 2023 #46

You got it-I keep telling them to wake up! Stargazer99 Sep 2023 #55

My old job technical translator/interpreter is all but gone thanks to AI. GreenWave Sep 2023 #99

In a way, my job was also made obsolete by advanced technology. Backseat Driver Sep 2023 #130

Republicans oppose minimum wage increases at every point. scarletlib Sep 2023 #12

It's on sinema and manchin Marthe48 Sep 2023 #29

Thank Ronald Reagan and the wealth is good people. marble falls Sep 2023 #13

Sadly Even 45 years later nobody has changed his bills ha signed. jimfields33 Sep 2023 #28

Where did Reagan get those bills to sign? former9thward Sep 2023 #30

Yes I know. The democratic house. The senate went republican for part of the 8 years. jimfields33 Sep 2023 #31

Probably Republican congress majority Stargazer99 Sep 2023 #57

There was never a Republican majority in the House during Reagan. former9thward Sep 2023 #68

👍 Joinfortmill Sep 2023 #36

We can blame ourselves maxrandb Sep 2023 #50

Ronald Reagan is probably in hell... hunter Sep 2023 #100

I wonder how many SouthernDem4ever Sep 2023 #16

They are still doing it today. n/t progressoid Sep 2023 #80

This is it, exactly! yardwork Sep 2023 #17

Knock-on effect orthoclad Sep 2023 #18

Current wealth/income disparity is unsustainable. Let's resolve it peaceably by taxing the ultrarich Bernardo de La Paz Sep 2023 #19

Amen Joinfortmill Sep 2023 #21

Damn, I was a college graduate beginning my accounting career in 1981 chicoescuela Sep 2023 #23

There was a Big Bear on Neil Ave. in Victorian Village... ECL213 Sep 2023 #24

Oh my Joinfortmill Sep 2023 #37

I think that's the store I started at. maxrandb Sep 2023 #44

That was the one I remember MichMan Sep 2023 #105

former Big Bear in The Plains rustbeltvoice Sep 2023 #25

At that time, I was making less than that as a licensed journeyman plumber. Chainfire Sep 2023 #26

A LOT of people make less than a licensed plumber! Those are great jobs. oldsoftie Sep 2023 #66

I was too immature for college so I joined the military. Chainfire Sep 2023 #77

There ya go! I've told SO many young people to join the military. oldsoftie Sep 2023 #98

Every solid college degree ought to come with a good trade job as a backup superpower. hunter Sep 2023 #116

They are gone now. Unfortunately, it wasn't survivable. jimfields33 Sep 2023 #27

$12.60 in 1981 would be about $42 today Sympthsical Sep 2023 #32

👍 Joinfortmill Sep 2023 #38

Just pulled up my SS report maxrandb Sep 2023 #43

If Safeway paid $90k/year Sympthsical Sep 2023 #45

Why? Johnny2X2X Sep 2023 #64

I was being a bit tongue in cheek Sympthsical Sep 2023 #65

Appreciate the response Johnny2X2X Sep 2023 #74

Just this morning, I read an article about concerns over the falling birth rate Attilatheblond Sep 2023 #107

This should be an OP RANDYWILDMAN Sep 2023 #128

Big Bear couldn't compete and ended up going bankrupt Kaleva Sep 2023 #39

Could not compete my a**. Private Equity bought Big Bear and loaded them with debt and then sold the Stargazer99 Sep 2023 #59

Truth! maspaha Sep 2023 #83

Why did they sell it? MichMan Sep 2023 #112

Really good post, Max. You are quite intelligent enough to have stated the basic problem. PatrickforB Sep 2023 #40

+1 leftstreet Sep 2023 #62

My grandfather never even attended high school Wednesdays Sep 2023 #42

And this is a major reason why there's going to be a SS shortfall. nt wiggs Sep 2023 #47

In 1984, I graduated from college with a bachelors degree ... aggiesal Sep 2023 #48

The well to do have figured out how to bleed the common man Stargazer99 Sep 2023 #60

1984 my rent was a little over $300 a month and gasoline was essentially free. hunter Sep 2023 #96

42 years later, Ohio's minimum wage is still only $10.10 per hour. OnlinePoker Sep 2023 #51

Not to brag, but my Birthday happens to be a National Holiday maxrandb Sep 2023 #58

In these times, that could likely put you in a higher tax bracket... Backseat Driver Sep 2023 #101

People today don't even know what Birthday pay was maxrandb Sep 2023 #104

and 1981 was the beginning of the end of such jobs themaguffin Sep 2023 #53

Republicans have forced through policies that have hollowed out the American middle class. 50 years Martin68 Sep 2023 #54

It's insane Johnny2X2X Sep 2023 #56

Yep, it's the perpetuation of the myth that people just need to work more maxrandb Sep 2023 #61

And Inflation is a misdirection Johnny2X2X Sep 2023 #63

This! ShazzieB Sep 2023 #114

This is a GREAT post! I hope some of the youngsters are reading this FakeNoose Sep 2023 #70

Granted, they were the days of high inflation, and everything was costing more and more, but... BobTheSubgenius Sep 2023 #72

Miners around here (southwest NM) Elessar Zappa Sep 2023 #73

Same is true of the jobs I once had. hunter Sep 2023 #124

same, at almost the exact same time period at Giant Food bigtree Sep 2023 #76

Americans can no longer simply work their way into the middle class. Yavin4 Sep 2023 #78

Reagan presidency started the downfall tiredtoo Sep 2023 #81

Without a doubt budkin Sep 2023 #88

Reagan's firing of PATCO air traffic controllers DENVERPOPS Sep 2023 #91

Awareness is the answer Sucha NastyWoman Sep 2023 #82

You're so Right! maspaha Sep 2023 #85

LOL, sometime after we moved to Columbus Backseat Driver Sep 2023 #111

I hear you on the money end and moniss Sep 2023 #84

Small town U.S.A. is a bloody hell for those who don't fit in. hunter Sep 2023 #126

As I said in my post moniss Sep 2023 #132

We worked at Big Bear, too! Alliepoo Sep 2023 #86

Corporate greed, a result of corporate philosophy. CaptainTruth Sep 2023 #87

'this country has been valuing wealth over labor for the better part of 4 decades now.' elleng Sep 2023 #89

Excellent post. I received union scale (teamsters) wages in 1975 and was thrilled (9.93 an hour). Evolve Dammit Sep 2023 #92

This is the best post of the day. llmart Sep 2023 #93

My brothers made twice a much as a butcher than he did as a teacher maxrandb Sep 2023 #106

My brother in law was a butcher in Fisher Fazios grocery store. llmart Sep 2023 #108

K&R stage left Sep 2023 #94

I was a lieutenant in the Army in 1981 COL Mustard Sep 2023 #95

I took about a 70% pay cut to join the Navy in 1981 maxrandb Sep 2023 #103

Yup, I certainly agree COL Mustard Sep 2023 #109

K&R ck4829 Sep 2023 #97

There was a time, in this country, when we believed in paying a living wage dlk Sep 2023 #102

in 1981 I got a job in a restaurant bussing tables I made 2.50 hr + tips hydrolastic Sep 2023 #120

There's no reason for top executives to make 300 or 400 times what they pay their workers dlk Sep 2023 #129

In the summer of '66 I worked as an apprentice electrician earning $2.75/hr. I was able to flashman13 Sep 2023 #110

I was making 3.35/hr in 81... WarGamer Sep 2023 #115

Did you have stock or a 401K? Snooper9 Sep 2023 #119

No, I left Big Bear at the end of 1981 to join the Navy maxrandb Sep 2023 #121

Thats a long time in the military, thanks for your service... Snooper9 Sep 2023 #122

I guess it bothers me, but like about 80% of us veterans maxrandb Sep 2023 #125

I worked at a union grocery store through high school & college as a part time cashier dflprincess Sep 2023 #127