Pros
I just absolutely love my coworkers. We're all like roommates. I really appreciate that I mostly stick to a routine. I almost always get the days off that I request, which is wonderful. In my case, I do often get more hours because I perform. You can definitely advance to management if you want to, though I don't see why you would. The union helps to keep you from being treated TOTALLY like dirt....
Kontras
THE PAY. Oh, dear lord, the pay is a nightmare. I would definitely say the majority of the employees in the store live with their parents, even if they're married or have kids. I can hardly get by on the pay. I only pay half my rent and still putting down rent money each week taps me out until next week. We only eat pasta and cereal. I try really hard not to gain or lose weight because I can't buy clothes. The union dues are pretty expensive and you don't have a choice. I don't use any of the benefits but I still have to pay. The managers drive me nuts. Do they ever stop? Somehow, they have plenty of time to hassle us at every turn. They hover over us daily. They revise our department manager's schedule, cut dozens of hours, and then complain that we aren't keeping up. I can't count the times I've been talked to about the dress code, mostly because I wore a white shirt with no scarf. Khaki shirt with no scarf is okay, but white shirt with no scarf gets you written up. Are you joking? Is this really worth spending time on, and grating on a good employee's last nerve? The work is really stressful because there's no help. Sometimes, the schedule is so bad that just one of us is alone on the counter for an hour to three hours, even at lunch time. Even though they told me when I was hired that I would always start at 7am, I've been starting at 4am 3-5 times a week for months and I'm dying. Managers encourage volunteer work but get all whiny if you request time off to do so. I can't even stand how many times a week random people in suits come from corporate to harrass us. Just how many of you are there!? Every other day, first thing, it's "Hey, so and so from wherever is coming so work harder than you ever have before!" Every other day!!