June 2
Safeway, Inc.
To Whom It May Concern (This Concerns Us All):
I am writing this letter in hopes of reaching someone who cares, although I question if the timing of this letter is several years too late. The reason for starting this letter with such strong words is simple; your company is making a mockery out of what American business should be.
I have had the good fortune in recent years to befriend several Safeway employees. It was through these friendships that I noticed a common theme – they are all good people, they all worked for your company for five plus years, and they all feared how long their employment with you would last. “Why such fear? ” I wondered. But then as time moved forward, my understanding of their fear became clear.
My first realization of your company’s lack of care came about during your most recent contract negotiations. I understand that the relationship between the union and a company is a vital one and I am not writing this letter to get into those political debates, but I do question WHY an established company such as yours would hold out on negotiations when all the people want are guaranteed forty-hour work weeks and the health insurance that was promised to them upon first being hired.
My friend who just celebrated twenty years with your company started out with a great pension, the ability to move to different Safeways and be guaranteed pay and position, he had flexibility in hours, decent pay, and great benefits. To date, everything that was promised to him upon hiring has dissolved away. His pension is almost non-existent; he is only guaranteed pay and position if he stays within a certain parameter of stores, and lately, it appears that because he gets paid more dollars per hour than the new-hires, he is being forced out. His hours have been cut, his department changes daily, his scheduled hours are random and in his opinion, his manager is attempting to do everything right by him. Wow, if that is doing “right” by an employee, I would hate to see what doing something “wrong” would be. Being a corporate person myself, I know what you are thinking. He must be a problem employee, he must lack motivation, maybe his time is just up, but I assure you, his character is steadfast and true, it is the business practices that are being imposed by you that are wrong, not the employees that you are pegging as the problem.
So now your stores will be left with “newbies” – no one who knows the customers, no one who knows the business, and no one who is making any kind of sustainable living who will even care to go the extra mile. And it is because of this, that I am writing this letter. I want you to know, in print, that I will not be purchasing another item from your store. I will be very vocal about my opinions regarding your company and as they teach you in marketing 101, word of mouth is everything, and I most certainly have the gift of gab.
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