Lowes gearing up for Unionizing effort

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 90

In the past several weeks, District HR has been going from store to store informing, Department Managers and above, about the recent changes in rules for Unionizing. As we all know, Lowes and all box stores, do not like Unions. Management has also been briefed on "rules of engagement", concerning Union organizing activity in the stores. At the Distribution Centers, employees were given cards with Corporate phone numbers to call, if they hear the word Union mentioned or any report of Union organizing activity. The District HR said those who are turned in will be dealt with. We all know what that means. At the store I work at, we did not receive cards. Lowes probably feels the DC's are most likely the targets of Unionizing efforts. It is generally known that the "box stores" are going to be a target for Unionizing efforts. Lowes better wise up and start treating their employee right. There is an old saying, " an unhappy employee is possibly the next Union member". Just posting this, will most likely cost me my job if they find out who I am. I am sure the Lowes trolls on this board will try to track me down. Just wondering, has anything like this been going on in your stores? Any input, pro or con, is greatly appreciated.

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 461

At this point I doubt that the union bill will pass. There's just way too much going on to warrent something. At least for a few more years. If someone goes in and doesn't work it becomes a campaign issue next year. Heck it could easily be 2014 before this even passes.

Congressionally seats are every two years
presidential are every 4

I'm sorry but unionization isn't going to create jobs and that's the bottom line. It can try to save jobs but it doesn't create them.

Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 146 Location: Region 1

The EFCA will pass in this Congress, but not without compromise on both sides of the aisle. The card check part of the legislation will be stricken before passage. That's really the only sticking point in the bill right now.

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 90

I am sure it will not create jobs. But as you say, it will most likely save jobs. Lowes must be pretty sure it will pass to make such a move. All details of the bill were given at the meetings. But the topic of the meeting was not given to people on the floor. Many, those below the Department Manager level, are still in the dark about the meeting. It was a "hush-hush" meeting. I will note, in the training room, is a manual concerning "disaters and emergency situations" and how to deal them. Union Organization is one topic. That is an emergency situation?

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 461

I've seen that same thing but it lists plenty of other things that would rarely happen for the most part...hurricanes, earth quakes, demonstrations, riots etc.

Ever see that movie the The Day After? Remember the scene when they are trying to tell the farmers how to plant crops again? Same concept...

There's a video in the canadian llc that is about unionization...I found it to be neutral. It said that you can get promised things but it doesn't mean it will happen.

Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 89 Location: Georgia

Joined: 07 Jul 2003 Posts: 110

since dept mgrs are hourly, they shouldn't be in any meetings about unions

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 90

How do I know this? I will not reveal my source. Yes, DM's are hourly but they are still considered management. I am not making any of this up. It is all straight "from the horse's mouth". I was warned when I hired in at Lowes to never speak anything about Unions. I speak what I want to speak. Intimidation by management means nothing to me. I only started this thread to see what was going on in other stores, that is all. Thanks for any input from other stores.

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 461

but it still isn't really management. Most of this will just float off. Let's be honest here a dm can't fire anyone and who's to say if a dm won't lie to get someone fired them from this? It's hearsay...you don't have a confirmation of actual evidence of unionization.

In terms of lowes trying to track people down on the internet..no offense but don't flatter yourself. They might want to save money but to data mine to go after people here and there would be a waste of time money and energy.

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 90

I did not say there was any evidence of Unionizing activity at Lowes. All I said was, Lowes is gearing up for such activity if it were to occur and management was "briefed" on the new changes. If Lowes was not worried about about Union activity, they would not held the meetings and passed out the cards to the management and employees. I am not flattering myself when I said Lowes will track you down. If you think Lowes employees, such as management (store level and above), do not monitor this and other such boards, you are wrong. Boards like this are excellent tools for management to see what is going on behind the scenes at their stores. As for Lowes, Unions are to Lowes as Communist were to America in the 60's.

Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 89 Location: Georgia

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 90

If their names are revealed, then Lowes finds out, their job is toast. They are friends. Would you do that to your friends? End of story.

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 461

"I am not flattering myself when I said Lowes will track you down. If you think Lowes employees, such as management (store level and above), do not monitor this and other such boards, you are wrong."

I know they monitor LRA or rather RA because bunker himself said so and he has the I.P addresses. However there's a limit as to that.

"Boards like this are excellent tools for management to see what is going on behind the scenes at their stores. As for Lowes, Unions are to Lowes as Communist were to America in the 60's."

That's streching things quite far. Communism already had war with the USA under the berlin airlift and korean war and nam. I'm neutral on unions because I don't think they can all be lumped together. On one hand I've seen a teamster job that I could have got which paid about the same as lowes...but the free health care was meaningless since the state mandates it now and the drive would have taken hours each day. On the same note the most dominate supermarket in the state is unionized here..although there is much more competition than before.

To track people down on the internet and fire them for things on the internet is going a bit far. All someone has to do is hire a lawyer and well they'll cave in. They lost the variable overtime fight, they lost when they forgot to pay OT on a minor holiday when I worked, they lost when the sales tax was approved to go up here etc. Heck the name lowes for retail was actually the austrailian mens clothing store that started well over 100 years ago...maybe they might sue..

So what do you think lowes is afraid of then? Plenty of employees are on say myspace and facebook...and due to privacy controls lowes can't view the content..what then?

Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 2801

This is funny! Lowe's track you down...... Very Happy

What with a program on Genesis? Very Happy

Piece of shit systems they have they would be lucky to get a program of "Pong" to work! Very Happy

Joined: 22 Dec 2007 Posts: 461

In all honestly lowes can do some things at least within the store.

When you log into genesis it knows who logged in and at what terminal. While it is true someone can walk away and leave it open they could also find someone on the cameras.

Outside of the store no so much. Now it's obvious if something is in the title of a website as to the content. This is about retail employees..duh. But how is lowes to monitor ALL websites that might have people saying things about lowes....they can't. More importantly many are probably customers and it would cause bad pr. Lowes is not diversified enough where they can burn bridges in countries or even states.

"I was warned when I hired in at Lowes to never speak anything about Unions. "

From who? is this like that "It's against policy to talk about pay" thing? even though there's nothing written about that.

Unless it's written down...the second someone says "It's policy" just respond with "Ok then if it is how about you print it out and show me it...there's no such thing as unwritten rules"

Joined: 04 Feb 2009 Posts: 17

You all get waaaaay to into working there. I think it must be the muzak or something.

Listen, here's the real deal LOWES IS JUST AN OVER GLORIFIED KMART.

All you need to do is bust ass to keep yourself off the radar screens, and looking pretty buff, and try to date all the little hottie cashiers and walls and windows reps. It'll keep ya going till you get a much better job.

Sorry if your store doesnt have any, I saw a few that didn't. I'd have to quit if that was the case.