WHOA. I just tried to tip my cashier at Stop and Shop and was told that’s BANNED. Upon investigation it appears this is to do w it being a UFCW-organized shop and wanting to keep wages on the “organized” level. This is absurd. If someone did a good job, I should be able to tip!

I am genuinely pissed about this. Unions are out organizing strikes, other industrial actions to force pay hikes and apparently there’s extra pressure to bear on workers at unionized shops to participate bc they *can’t get tips or they’ll be fired bc of UFCW contract provisions*

People going apeshit about these tweets: 1) Yes, I have been able to tip cashiers and other staff before when shopping— this is a new crackdown...

and I was specifically told people wouldn’t risk it today because it was a union-inserted contract term and union reps and union secret shoppers were on the scene today. 2) I have been able to tip at other supermarkets before.

3) no this doesn’t excuse eg Walmart banning tips either IMO. Just because one entity engages in a bad practice doesn’t absolve others of bad behavior. 4) Yes, it is wrong to hold people to their base pay when they go above and beyond and someone wants to say “thanks.”

It is especially wrong when it is done in order to improve the bargaining power of an already powerful entity, whether that is a big company or big labor. Here, it’s big labor. And that was made abundantly clear by union members working the floor who are PISSED about it.

If you’re out there saying essential workers handling food especially deserve extra pay during this crisis, and you’re for banning tips, you’re a hypocrite. That’s the deal. Suck it up.

If people are worried about the people handling the carts and manning the cash registers disproportionately benefiting and there not being “equality,” then PUT OUT A FUCKING TIP JAR where people can tip and tips can be split by workers at the end of a shift.

Of course, this would entail workers getting paid more and unions not being able to position themselves as “essential” for delivering any pay boosts in a time of hardship and extra strain, and unions want to hog any and all credit for that because it’s a political power play.

This is why it won’t happen. And it’s wrong and it’s a mistake and it should be called out. If you’d think it was wrong for Walmart to impose this term on workers then it’s wrong for unions to do it and if you can’t admit that it’s because you’re not being intellectually honest.