Amara works at Lunds and Byerlys in Uptown Minneapolis. After talking with a coworker who had less seniority but was earning nearly the same wage, she wasn’t sure her rate of pay made sense.
She brought her concerns to her coworkers and fellow Union members. Together, they reviewed the wage scales outlined in their Union contract. What they found confirmed her suspicions. There were inconsistencies in her rate of pay.
With her coworkers backing her up, Amara approached management to investigate. At the same time, she reached out to the Member Action Center (MAC) to make sure she had support from her Union representative if she needed it.
Sure enough, Amara was owed nearly $700 in backpay. When she was reclassified, she took on more responsibility, but was not given the pay that comes with it. Thanks to the protections in her Union contract, she received her backpay on her next paycheck.
“Having my coworkers and my Union behind me made it a lot easier to speak up and make sure things were set right,” said Amara. “I’m double majoring in Biology and Communications right now. This money will help me save up for graduate school!”
If something seems wrong with your paycheck, talk to your steward, your organizer, or reach out to the MAC by calling (800)-292-4105 or emailing us at MAC@ufcw663.org.