THEY'RE ALL ABOUT US

I don't think there exists a more salient symbol of American abundance and bounty than the supermarket; especially the modern Super supermarket (if I may) with its enormous square footage of row after row and aisle after aisle and section after section of just about every edible substance that there is to eat on this rapidly devolving earth. Its really quite beautiful; the myriad array of foodstuffs and sundries.

  I can linger seemingly for days at the meat counter or watch the fresh fish being carefully laid out on shimmering ice or wander through the cheese section and lose myself to the pungency or perhaps peruse the deli section with its vast assortment of salads and specialities and salami options and don't get me started on the bakery offerings. I can stand amidst the display crates of tomatoes and eggplants and the other produce that our good earth puts forth ( although I still wonder whatever happened to the "taste" of many of these as I can't remember when I last ate a tomato that tasted like, well, a tomato) and marvel at all "God's creation"; it was worth a bite of that delicious apple. But as it seems with so many of our enterprises we are more taken with the beautiful illusion than the reality behind what we see. Afterall, if you're not having to work in such a venue you're there for only one reason and lets eat. What you don't know or care not to know just how these wonderful strawberries and oranges and bananas and lettuce and beans and corn and peas and turnips and cherries and melons and peaches and, well, you get the idea, got here, won't trouble your holiday table- or the conditions of the various slaughterhouses that all that lovely meat came to be shown behind the glass-case - we are a nation who despite much evidence to the contrary still trusts a lot and why not that thick sirloin is going to go great with the mashed potatoes tonight.

No, the less considered the better, besides if it wasn't for us those farm workers wouldn't even have a job! And don't bother thinking about how this stuff got transported here in the first place- the long history of American labor is strewn with the overturned turnip trucks that were late to market. And look if you will at the workers wearing those neat red or white or blue outer garments with their names neatly printed on ID tags proclaiming how glad they are to be able to help you find those cans of anchovies that were listed as on sale. And when you're done selecting and picking and ordering there are the cashiers standing  as sentinels to facilitate your shopping and servicing your coupon and bagging needs. Most of the workers in these stores today, if you have ever noticed, are somewhat older on average than workers in grocery stores used to be- the American economy has changed drastically and, for most for the worse in the past-oh say 30-40 years.  Most of these workers are working second jobs because the job they're doing right now- checking you out as efficiently and without fuss to see you comfortably on your way-doesn't pay them enough to put enough food on the table for their own families. In my neck of the woods most of these cashiers are women in their 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's (sorry Helen) and older and they have to stand for their entire shift- the Company provides no tall stools for them to occasionally sit- but thats ok because the Company- in this case its the Wakefern Corp, parent of what we all know to be the SHOP RITE supermarket chain - they call themselves a business "cooperative"- and according to the Progressive Grocer they set a new record last year of achieving over $14 Billion in retail sales, has in years gone by dramatically cut back its employee hours and although they tried as have other companies to blame the Affordable Health Care Act for these "necessary" measures such a trend among large corporations started well before- with all sorts of ramifications for workers' benefits and insurance and union rights. At the minimum wage it will take that much longer to qualify along with the shortened hours for benefits and -if any- pension plans. Hence the second job AND if your an older person today, say with a kid or two of school-age how much more difficult is it to hold down 2 jobs if you have no one to help out at home when the kid comes home.

 From a recent Supermarket News:

Approximately 10% of new retail jobs in November came from the food and beverage sector, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Of 50,200 jobs created between October and November, 5,700 were in food and beverage stores — essentially, supermarkets — according to BLS figures released Friday.

That compares with 4,700 new jobs among health and personal care stores — essentially, drugstores; 1,200 at general merchandise stores; and 26,500 at restaurants, the BLS reported. During the 12 months from November 2013 to November 2014, employment at food and beverage stores totaled 3.03 million, compared with 2.96 million at the beginning of that period, Tom Braun, principal at Braun Resources, Mahwah, N.J., told SN. He said he is “encouraged” that employment is up in the food and beverage sector, calling the increases “significant.”

(And to think I wasted my time reading Time Magazine all those years)

Wakefern- Shop Rite is the largest retail cooperative in the country and seems to be very proud of this fact and what corporation wouldn't be? But a goodly percentage of their very own workers have to depend on the SNAP program (food stamps) to help purchase what the shelves of Shop Rite that they stock have to offer. To underline the difficulty of being a low-wage worker in this American Dream of an economy Shop Rite is even a union shop. At Shop Rite, management likes to refer to the employees as "associates" - as if everyone has a personal stake in the company's success; someday you too shall be a "partner". At holiday time the  big boss- actually he is not the really BIG boss but he gets to be president all the same, sends out a holiday greeting letter of sorts to all his Shop Rite "Associates":

       "As you know, ShopRite's purpose is, "to care deeply about people, helping them to eat well and be happy" and there is no better time than the holiday season for our purpose to come alive. Together we have taken care of our neighbors by offering services that allow them to spend more time with people they care about most, providing food they are proud to bring home to their family, or simply giving a warm smile to brighten someone's day.

      Through many challenges this year your hard work and dedication gave us strength to remain the best at delivering an exceptional shopping experience. Thank you for being a part of our ShopRite Family.

     I am pleased to offer the attached coupon which allows you to receive 10% off one entire shopping order up to $500. This coupon is valid through January 3, 2015 in any SRS ShopRite store.

     The Executive Staff and I, wish you and your family a Healthy and Happy Holiday season and a prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,"

The Executive staff will tell you that the grocery racket (my word) works on a narrow margin and what with drought and rising utilities and the general cost of business ( and always blaming the high cost of "Obamacare" , which, by the way, has reversed the trend but don't tell management) and a record $14 Billion in sales we couldn't possible pay our workers any more or- perish the thought -even offer a regular amount of working week hours. But we'll continue to vote Republican so your SNAP dollars will be cut thus saving our great country billions more for the Executive staff. And remember don't try to buy more than $500 worth of groceries at one time or you will not be able to take advantage of our generous one-time only coupon.  Have a prosperous New Year!