A guest post
Grahame Woods
If you shop at Cobourg’s Metro supermarket, you might have noticed how little the management of the store cares for the well-being of its staff. You might recall how, under its previous A&P ownership, the store had an enormous, expensive, and ill-conceived facelift, with no consideration given to the cashiers and staff working at the service desk adjacent to the exit at the west end of the building. Now, in the throes of a bitter winter, those employees, bundled up and chilled to the core, have to withstand the biting winds each time a customer leaves the store. In the redesign no thought was given to this concern. All management has to do is look at the Staples store to the east to see how to fix the problem. One cashier told me she’s afraid to complain out of fear of losing her job. This in Cobourg in 2010? It’s shameful.
If you shop at Cobourg’s Metro supermarket, you might have noticed how little the management of the store cares for the well-being of its staff. You might recall how, under its previous A&P ownership, the store had an enormous, expensive, and ill-conceived facelift, with no consideration given to the cashiers and staff working at the service desk adjacent to the exit at the west end of the building. Now, in the throes of a bitter winter, those employees, bundled up and chilled to the core, have to withstand the biting winds each time a customer leaves the store. In the redesign no thought was given to this concern. All management has to do is look at the Staples store to the east to see how to fix the problem. One cashier told me she’s afraid to complain out of fear of losing her job. This in Cobourg in 2010? It’s shameful.
21 comments:
this frankly seems ridiculous - afraid to complain as they might lose their job??? First, they are unionized workers at Metro, are they not? Why don't they complain via their union? Secondly, they are in Ontario, not North Korea, one could assume they would not be fired for raising such a concern.
Separate to above, it isn't like the folks on the desk are having to stand directly in front of the door, or out in the parking lot. There is a standard two door, airlock system in place, not some broken down open window or something.
This post seems rather sensational, first implying that workers have no rights (hardly the case in Ontario!) and secondly, that the "oppressive" management doesn't care.
Perhaps you could organize some sort of solidarity movement against this injustice.
Glad to see Mike Harris has found an outlet for his -ahem- views.
After we get this fixed maybe we can work on something for the staff at Timmy's and all the other fast foot outlets who work at the drive through windows. They must get cold too, and they do it for less money and without unions.
I disagree with Wood`s contentions.
Solution:
Where a sweater!
What is the matter Ben. Why take down your comment and forbid me from replying on your comment. What kind of game are you playing. Were you ashamed of your comment.
I do not intend to guess what was offensive in my piece and delete those portions, but then again, perhaps everything in it was offensive and the entire piece was rejected by you. Anyway, I know nothing from you except for your comments that you published and once seen by all your readers you withdrew it. Very ethical, Ben.
Jeez Wally, I was doing you a favour by taking it down, Do you want to be measured by the number of deleted comments and have them advertised as offensive. For your information and everybody elses how many times do I have to tell you --- getting personal in your comments and answering previous comments in "debate" is offensive if you insult, denigrate or belittle.
Let's not get into what is ethical
I couldn't give a shit about your favour Ben. I don't ask for favours, so cut your smug patronage.
"personal in your comments and answering previous comments in "debate" is offensive if you insult, denigrate or belittle."
You know as well I do, that you have consistently published comments that "insult, denigrate and belittle me." Yes, that's right. I even had to point it out to your blindness when this issue case up before.
eg.
"It is very clear to me that you [Wally Keeler] have a deep hatred of women, and I hope I never run into you in a dark alley somewhere, I would be terrified." --Thursday, August 13, 2009 7:51:00 PM EDT
And that is just one of many. Want me to fish up more?
If someone makes a comment about me or mine that can "insult, denigrate or belittle" feel free to post it, so long as I am free to point out how unethically the blog is being administered.
I don't mind a free-for-all against me. I've taken worse slings than have been thrown at me with your consent here. I don't expect that to change.
SATIRE forbidden by Ben Burd.
Satire is not forbidden by the BurdReport, unfortunately if the satire exists in the satirists mind but is not obvioiusly satirical enough to be recognised, when written as satire it is just gobbledy gook.
And by the way I don't patronise, you may just have a perception problem.
Wally forgot to take his medications this morning.
I used to work there. You're not allowed to wear sweaters, however there are union sweaters you can borrow. I do agree the managers are pretty mean though, and they'd rather fire someone for complaining then do something about it.
There's no union, to answer an earlier question. However, working there is not quite the Nazi Death Camp that the author of this post makes it out to be.
Also, in response to Ben and Wally's comment war: while Ben's deleting/monitoring may seem rude or unfair to you, it IS his blog after all. It wouldn't be the first time something on the internet was censored. Also, Wally, I dig your poetry, but I think you're kinda a scary dude :S
SATIRE:
1. witty language used to convey insults or scorn -- Princton U.
2. exposing human folly to ridicule -- Princton U
3.a mode of discourse or genre defined by its use of irony, sarcasm, or ridicule for mocking, exposing or denouncing the frailties and faults -- Thomas Grey
"Gobbledy-gook" is practised more often by yourself and your progressive colleagues who collectively have as much wit and substance as a slice of white bread left out in a hot summer shower.
Gobbledy-gook is not what I write under any circumstance, Mr Burd, so you can take your insulting, belittling, denigrating comment about my writing style and shove it up your bland hypocrisy.
You are the blog boss and as such you can decide from the depths of your broad literary experience to diktat what satire is or isn't. I acknowledge your power in this regard, but not your sophomoric competence.
I repeat: I don't write gobbledy- gook. Get it?
While the downside of free speech is exposure to opinions, informed or otherwise, that you may not agree with, one of the upsides is that we can also choose to ignore them, or not engage with individuals who are bent on personal attack.
I think today's demonstration only reinforces the patience that Ben and others have, and again demonstrates the intolerance that others insist on exposing many to.
Such is life in a free society.
I didn't forget to take my meds this morning.
Typical that Ben would permit the posting of outright lies. You should be very proud to post slanderous lies by cowards. Quite ethical Ben. And quite a contrast to your self-aggrandizing attitudes towards insults, belittlement and disparaging remarks which are unacceptable to you, but slanderous lies are OK by you. Pathetic.
As a satirist Wally i don't see how can fail to see the humour in the comment made by another poster.
If the comment was intended to a slanderous lie then I am sure that the poster will withdraw the remark and apologise having noticed that you failed to see the humour in the remark
perhaps if we dangle something, lets say, satirical, in front of him, maybe, just maybe, we can keep Wally busy swatting at it like a little kitty, and the rest of the world can get on with some far more interesting discussions than what is insulting and what is poetry and what is clever and what is . .what is ... and what else is ... snooooozzzzz... wake me when he takes the bait!
Ben, in this thread of comments you declared, "getting personal in your comments and answering previous comments in "debate" is offensive if you insult, denigrate or belittle."
That is YOUR criteria, but it is applied only to ME. It is ok for anonymous (Nameless) to assert that I am not taking my meds. That was a personal insult that belittles and denigrates.
So Ben, WHY do you let so many others behave that way, while you prevent me from doing likewise? Hmmm?
Nameless' denigrating and belittling insult does not even have the redeeming feature of being witty. That you would refer to a wornout cliche as satire is indicative of your flatline discernment of what constitutes real satire.
I'll let your blog florish for the usual bland gland lefties to pat each other's ass. Enjoy your victory for diversity.
Tim Hortons, Metro, Walmart, Home Depot,.... ; the alternatives are having a tough time. Use 'em or lose 'em them !
I do indeed apologize for Wally's failure to find humour in my remark about him not taking his meds.
Obviously he takes no medications whatsoever.
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