2nd half of changes

Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 477

Here are the second half of changes. I split them up because for some reason i couldnt fit them all on one space to submit:)

Benefit #16
Diversity Training for Management
Sears will annually hire an outside human relations consulting company, approved by the NAACP, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, to conduct a three-day diversity and human relations seminar that all Managers, Leads and Asset Protection employees will be required to attend.

Comments:
Sears gets by with practicing racism in their promotions and in their relationships with employees and customers. It is not obvious to many non-minority employees because it is very subtle and unspoken, but it is very real to minority employees who suffer from it every day. Many Fortune 500 companies have an ongoing professional diversity training program to help build positive and mutually beneficial relations between management, employees and customers. Sears should do no less and a Union will show them how to be a better company employees as well as customers.

Benefit #17
Safety Inspections
Sears will allow the Union Safety representative to inspect the facility at any time, without notice, to protect the health and safety of all workers.

Comments:
Sears consistently puts employees' health and safety at risk. Last year they wouldn't fix an unsafe forklift just to save money. Then they wouldn't fix the zone heating system, which is what causes the second floor to be extremely hot while the warehouse is freezing cold. They have tried to use the cheap way out by using a very dangerous torch propane heater in the warehouse next to cardboard boxes making the warehouse a tinderbox, ready to go up in flames if a box gets to close to the heater. This is likely a flagrant violation of fire codes, but Sears uses the cheap way out at the risk of harming employees. This rule will ensure that Sears does not violate fire and safety codes as they may be currently doing.

Benefit #18
Vacation Restriction Notices
Sears will post the dates of the seasonal vacation restrictions (i.e., Thanksgiving and Christmas), six months in advance. Sears will not introduce any new vacation restrictions without the approval of the Union.

Comments:
Last year Sears abruptly announced a no-vacation policy. With this rule they will give employees advance notice so we can plan for our lives, without interruption.

Benefit #19
Employees' Review of Management
Sears will invite all employees to participate in an annual review of the Store Manager, all Managers, Assistant Managers, Leads and Asset Protection Employees. Upon consultation between the Union and Sears, a Personnel Performance Review Program will be selected from The Society of Human Resource Managers, (SHRM). This Performance Review will be mailed to each employee's home. Included in the mailing will be a self-addressed return mail envelope with postage attached, for a convenient mailing back to a third party evaluator. No signatures or identification will be required, or allowed, except for the identification of the employees' respective department. These statistically significant evaluations will be considered relevant and necessary to the annual evaluation of each Manager, Assistant Manager, Lead and Asset Protection employees.

Comments:
In many healthy companies the employees get to evaluate the managers and Sears should be no different. Managers should be responsive to the employees so that employees can get rid of bad managers.

Benefit #20
Shift Premium Benefit
There will be a shift premium for those employees who are required to work between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. These employees will be paid an additional $1.00 per hour for any portion of those hours worked.

Comments:
Those employees who have to stay late or come to work early should be compensated for the disruption of their lives. Almost all companies provide this benefit to employees and under this rule Sears will too.

Benefit #21
Sales Associates Will Not Stock, Clean, or Assemble
Sales Associates cannot be required to assemble products or equipment, clean equipment or floors, or participate in any activity that is not directly related to the function of selling. Nor can Sales Associates be required to assemble products off premises in customers' homes.
Comments:
Sears tries to cut expenses by using sales staff as assemblers, stockers and janitors. That puts others out of jobs as is happening now in all areas of the store while Sears profits are good.

Benefit #22
No Interference with Associates Income
Sears will not deny the right of employees within their divisions to sell all products within that division at any time, and under any circumstance. Nor will Sears import sales staff from one division to another without the written consent of the Union.

Comments:
This rule is the result of the Sears Chain Saw Massacre, where many employees lost hundreds of dollars in income because the store manager put his own year-end bonus above the livelihood of employees.

Benefit #23
Sixty Days Notice for Any Layoffs
Sears will give at least 60 days notice to any employee before reducing those employees' hours more than 10 weekly hours in any consecutive three-month period.

Comments:
No matter that Sears #1805 sales were very good for 2002 they severely cut part-time and seasonal employees after the new year. Sears takes advantage of these employees by not being candid about their end date. This rule will force Sears to be more honest with part-time and seasonal employees thereby enabling employees to plan for their future.

Benefit #24
Year's End Bonuses
All employees who have been with the company six months and who also receive a satisfactory Performance Review will participate in the success of the store by receiving a year-end bonus. The store must first meet its projected sales goals and those goals will be analyzed by the Union for authenticity. The bonus will be .01% of the employee's income for the calendar year. For example, an employee who now makes $7.50 per hour ($9.00 with a Union) or approximately $15,000 per year, would receive about $150.00 in a bonus, paid on or about December 20th. Employees who have been with the store less than six months, but more than 30 days, will receive a bonus of $50.00.

Comments:
According to the Store Manager, #1805 had a good year. Did you share in it? You did not! Many companies give their employees a bonus if the company has a good year. Not Sears, they only give bonuses to the Managers and the CEO, who made about $25 million last year. If he can get a bonus, so should you.

Benefit #25
Employee Incentive Programs
(Examples only) Employees who have perfect attendance for every three-month period would receive an extra $30.00, and an extra $50.00 per year for an entire year of perfect attendance. Employees who write-up five Sears' MasterCard's per week will receive a free lunch at Belk the following week. Employees who get 30% of their sales per week to be charged to a Sears or Sears MasterCard will receive an extra $50.00 per week of Sears' Bucks. These Sears' Bucks will be able to be spent in the store for any products just like a Gift Card.

Comments:

Benefit #26

Sales Bonuses for Commission Sales Associates
When commission sales associates achieve their sales goals, they will receive an additional commission bonus from .005% to 1.5% on the total sales volume. Bonuses would be paid quarterly within 15 days of the end of the quarter. For example, an associate who sells $75,000 per quarter could receive another $1,125 as a bonus for that quarter. This is in addition to a merit raises and a cost of living raise. The Union, working with relevant sales data and historical sales data provided by Sears, will work with Sears to create reasonable and fair sales goals.

Comments:
Every successful sales incentive program ever devised rewards people who achieve their sales goals. These rewards programs are actually good for the company because sales people are driven by greater rewards for effort. Many companies give away free vacations trips, extra cash, etc. The American capitalist system of rewards for effort, is practiced at thousands of companies every day.

Benefit #27
No More "I Know It Warnings"
Sears will no longer have "I Know It," or "I Know It Warnings." The Union will work with Sears to develop an effective training program that is more positive.

Comments:
Very few companies inflict this demeaning and rude action on their employees. Recently a very responsible long time employee left a couple of checks in the drawer at the close of the day, by accident. Most companies would have recognized that this was a simply an accident and would just remind the responsible employee to be more careful next time. Not Sears. They wrote up the employee with the "termination warning" included. Professional companies who respect their employees never do this stuff.

Benefit #28
Dress Code Protection
Sears will not make any changes in the dress code without the specific written agreement of the Union, in voting by the affected employees. Any uniforms etc. shall be at the expense of Sears and Sears shall provide at least three items of wear to each employee.

Comments:
Rumor has it that Sears may soon require Brand Central employees to wear shirts like those worn in Home Improvement and Circuit City. This rule will require Sears to discuss any dress change with the affected employees and obtain employee consensus before any changes are made.

Benefit #29
Elimination of Code 75 Issue and Charges
Sears shall insert into the software of the cash register system, a "return/exchange manager's approval code restriction" for any return/exchange of more than $100.00. After inserting this restriction, Sears shall no longer be able to confront or demand any explanation for return exchanges that might result in punishment of the employee.

Comments:
Did you know that if you don't have a receipt when you exchange a purchase for a customer, you run the risk of being charged with theft, attempting to receive a double commission on the original purchase and the exchange. This is unknown by most employees yet Sears fired an honest young man in Electronics, threatened another and suspended the Co-Chair of the EUOC, all for this infraction. The Asset Protection Manager told these employees that if they would just admit the admit the infraction Sears will work it out with them even though all of these employees denied ever doing this intentionally.. Most all retail stores insert this self-protection into the software, but not Sears. Sears uses this to threaten and fire those they no longer want as employees. This type of firing could result in your inability to receive unemployment compensation and destroy your employability at other companies even though you were innocent of any intent to defraud Sears. Only a Union can stop this terrible threat to your reputation and employability.

Benefit #30
Inclement Weather Store Closing Policy
Whenever the Governor of North Carolina declares a Public Emergency due to inclement weather, as happened during this last winter, Sears shall close and not re-open until the Public Emergency is removed. Sears shall pay all those employees who are scheduled to work during such emergency.

Comments:
Sears stayed open during the ice storms and put many employees at risk by expecting the employees to report to work. Sears also stayed open long after many other Mall stores had closed and sent their employees home. Sears has no balance when considering the safety of their employees so we shall force them not to endanger our lives. Many other stores have the above policy and pay their employees when the store is not able to open.

Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 933 Location: roaming...

Just reply to your own poll-post with the above info, SM.

Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 477

I did i voted yes we would be better off. Whats your opinion kanaka?

Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 933 Location: roaming...

No, I meant if you want to post the rest of that info in the same "poll" thread, just reply to your own post using "Post Reply" button, instead of poll buttons.

Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 477

i see thank you i will do that next time. But seriously kanaka after reading both halves of the proposed changes what is your thoughts and opinions on it, i am curious to know.

Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 933 Location: roaming...

Great! Now Footsoldier voted and posted and we lost our queue. :|

... off to vote

Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 477

hhah thanks go vote kanaks and post your opinions Smile

We all value your opinions as well as everyone elses.

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