one good and one surprising (and sad) incident from today's visit to Trader Joe...

[NRaleighLiberal]

After our two weeks away, the house was pretty devoid of food - so off I went to the Joe. I parked and was immediately confronted by a middle aged woman who quickly said to me "I worked at a factory for 54 years and never smoked and have no money and need help". This is the very first time I've had that happen to me in a grocery store parking lot. Sign of the times, sadly.....

Once in the store, I mentioned this to one of the people who walk around with the "ask me" signs - and she told me that this is becoming more common, and it seems as though there is a realization that a store like Trader Joe, with a predominantly liberal customer base, is more generous in giving to those in need. We were both concerned about this and started talking about what's going on in the country. It didn't take long for us to realize we were politically aligned, and she took a chance ("we are not supposed to talk politics with our customers&quot to speak to me a bit about it.

Then I told her I was about to navigate the ACA for my daughter and she expressed delight in it - she said that Trader Joe moved their part timers off of insurance, and her experience in obtaining it through the ACA was in her words, "wonderful - the choices, and the prices". So this heartened me...and made for a really interesting shopping trip - I went for groceries and ended up with my eyes wider opened.

[grantcart]

1. I hope that TJ then paid the employees the benefit that they were applying to health plan.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Yes, and the person said they would up ahead in the game -

the cost of the coverage through the ACA was lower than what the Joe was removing from the paycheck - so she got good coverage plus a small raise, in essence.

[grantcart]

3. win win and win

may I be so rude as to suggest that you ad that to your great OP. It shows how businesses who were doing the right thing by their employees actually come out ahead. They no longer have to hassle with the problems of health care and their employees get more disposable income.

[jtuck004]

4. "plus a small raise" Which is made smaller by 25% taxes, an advantage her

employer gets that she doesn't, and takes away from the money she might pay for health care.

[pnwmom]

8. That's what they said they'd be doing when they announced the decision.

They thought their employees would be better off with all the options on the Exchanges, so they made it worth their while.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

14. Employers are able to get group rates too but the exchange pools are in the millions.

[TBF]

35. There was an OP about this a couple weeks ago -

at that point it was framed as Trader Joe's not supporting ACA, but I recall talking to someone in that thread (may have been some sort of employee) who stated this was to help the employees. I'm glad to see that poster was correct and that it is a win-win all around.

It's one argument many of us have been making for a single payer system (ultimately, these things don't happen overnight) - that it actually would really free up small businesses to not have the responsibility of providing health care. I know large companies like to use it as a carrot approach, but small companies are at a disadvantage competitively when they provide it. And, of course, it is better for the employee if it is something that is provided by someone else and doesn't tie you to a particular job.

[CatWoman]

5. on a non related side

I simply LOVE your tomatoes

[dem in texas]

6. Tom Thumb In Dallas

I have a disabled nephew who does not drive and I take him to a North Dallas Tom Thumb once a week to buy groceries. I see people panhandling in the parking lot there all the time and have for many years.

[marble falls]

7. Key phrase for me - "she said that Trader Joe moved their part timers off of insurance"....

Screw Trader Joes. They just opened three stores here in Austin. Screw them and screw Whole Foods for the way they treat their employees.

[pnwmom]

9. You missed a key fact. Trader Joe's decided after examining

the options that the employees would be better off with all the benefits in the Exchanges -- but TJ's didn't benefit financially from this because they passed the savings on to their employees.

The employee in the OP isn't complaining, and I haven't heard of any other TJ's employees complaining. MANY other people would be better off if they had access to the Exchange, but they're stuck with whatever policies their employers happened to offer.

[marble falls]

10. When you're working poor (how many non supervisory employees make more than $10/hr)....

at less than 40 hours a week a $100 premium is a gas bill, bread, eggs and milk for one month. If a sales associate can beat the company deal in health care insurance by enrolling in an ACA private company provided program, does this mean that Joe's is going to increase these part-timer hourly rates because Joe now gets to keep the original premium in its pockets?

Sorry, the shame here is private companies and how they "compensate" in wages and benefits in relation to actual contribution to company outputs and profits.

ACA is a private company's delight. Let them pay SOMETHING for the privilege and the benefit from it.

I'd rather have a single payer. But I am glad for this even though I am more than happy with the VA. Every job takes something from our heath. Its only right employers recognize and contribute to healthcare. On this the the President has done yeoman's work in keeping the ACA mostly on track.

[BlueStreak]

13. I don't know the answer to your question, but it is possible

that Joe's never provided much assistance to the part-time workers anyway, and that by taking them off employer-paid insurance, this ends up being a much better deal for the employee (being able to receive the subsidy through the exchange.

We have been hearing of a lot of people and companies finding ways to game the system in order to get subsidies. Considering that these subsidies can be very large (~ $8000 / year per applicant), we could find that the ACA ends up costing a whole lot more than was estimated by CBO. Time will tell on that one.

And at this point, the healthcare.gov site is so dysfunctional, not very many people are getting registered -- at least in the 36 states covered by the federal website. We are coming up on the 2-week mark and I have still been able to log in only one time.

[unapatriciated]

37. TJ's up until a few years ago had superior benefits for part time employees.

That is when they started scaling back all their benefits programs (part time and full time). They still offer a retirement program but their contribution to it has been cut drastically. Health Insurance premiums usually ran between 80 and 100 dollars bi-weekly for part time employees. This was for an 80/20 plan or an HMO, depending on number of dependents. You had to work 24 hours a week to qualify for benefits. Most part time employees worked between 30-35 hours a week. Management are the only employee's that are considered full time. The problem I see is that some employees might lose hours to bring them below the threshold of the thirty hour a week qualifier and that could cost them needed income. Hopefully that will not happen. But I have seen this happen before when working for Safe-way. At Safe-way your hours always depended on how busy your store was and the mindset of your immediate management (they made sure you never made it to full time status). They would give you forty hours one week (during holiday's) and cut you to twenty the next, just to keep from paying benefits or moving you to full time status.

TJ's still offers a better retirement package than most in the industry but it is not what it used to be. They are still offering separate eye and dental care, it is not clear if they will continue this benefit beyond 2014.

[unapatriciated]

38. I can answer that.

At TJ's that is usually the starting pay for non supervisory employees with a chance for a raise every six months, capped at little over $20 an hour. But I agree with you on all your points regarding the increase in profits due to the benefit of the ACA.

[hue]

11. What a day!! Yes things are changing! K&R!!

[Squinch]

17. I have had a completely different experience of them than you have.

"They would love to off an old friend with substantial health problems..."

What does that mean?

[Raine1967]

18. I call bullshit.

Show links and prove this clap trap. Let's start with this question:

What Trader Joe's do you solicit?

Once again, links, please.

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. I do think people's Trader Joe's experiences can be wildly different.

Our Houston (the one closest to me) Trader Joe's is located in the Woodlands, land of the moneyed oilmen. It's one of the largest successful PUDs in the country and full of Tea Party idiots. I can see, at least, that part of the story. I refuse to shop there because I don't have nice enough clothing to mingle with the entitled.

Link to location:

http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/index.asp?q=77379


Here's the Representative for that area:

http://www.house.gov/htbin/findrep?ZIP=77381---He's a Teabagger's dream

Link to Woodlands demographics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woodlands,_Texas

As of 2010, there were 93,847 people. The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.8% White, 2.3% Black, 0.3% Native American, 4.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 0.2% Other, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino of any race were 12.3% of the population.


It's not a haven for liberals and I prefer to shop at Aldis.

On edit: Absolutely no soliciting of any kind is allowed in public spaces in the Woodlands without a permit.

http://www.woodlandsonline.com/

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. You could drop the paranoia and do what I did.

[ScreamingMeemie]

33. Your response to the OP sounded odd...

If you're going to get in someone's face with a story of your own, you should back it up.

It isn't hard to provide links...

[Unknown Beatle]

15. So what happened to the

middle aged woman? Did you help her?

[NRaleighLiberal]

16. helped her and she went off to someone else...don't know after that.

[North Carolina Knigh]

19. I've never understood

The following trader joes gets. It's a huge German corporation, brother owns Aldi. I prefer my locally owned independent grocer.

[KoKo]

22. Where do you find one... I don't know of any left of them in Cities.

They just can't compete with the big SuperMarkets and now WalMart and Target.

[ScreamingMeemie]

23. We have a couple here in my area of Houston.

Also a smaller chain called Sprouts whom I adore. Also a ton of Farmers Market type stores that are run by a group of local farmers who have been in the area for over 100 years.

[KoKo]

25. My city isn't the size of Huston...so maybe that's why... I think that means

that really Big Cities still have some way of having independent sources...but, Mid-Size and Cities that are really just Large Towns don't have the bargaining entreprenuers with "connections" that the Large US Cities have.

We still have our "Farmers Markets" and CSA's though that are important suppliers for those who like to support local farms, where I am.

[TBF]

36. I have to drive in from south of town

(we do have a few farmer's markets down here tho) ... I can get to the TJ's on Shepherd in 20-30 minutes non-rush hour. It is worth it for fresh produce and organic milk - those are marked up at the HEB I normally shop at.

ps - saw our other thread about the Woodlands ... I am far away from there now that we are down in Pearland. The TJ's on Shepherd is really nice, snooty folks go to Whole foods on Alabama. So if you're in town you could always stop there.

[North Carolina Knigh]

24. I drive to an IGA

But there are Independent Piggly Wigglys as well I love them.

[unapatriciated]

39. TJ's was founded by Joe Coulombe (from California)

It was sold in the late 70's to one of the brothers who owns the German based Aldi's not the ones in the US. It was placed into a trust to make sure daily operations stayed the same. That brother has since passed away as well as his son who inherited the trust. The grandchildren are now the beneficiaries of the trust but have little to do with day to day operations.

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. Our Houston Traders is a bummer. The stomping grounds of the Woodlands Republicans.

Most here go to Aldis. Better deals, better treatment, better customers. That and Sprouts. Absolutely love Sprouts.

Middle-aged woman who worked 54 years! I'm a young lady now...yes! Thanks for the story.


On edit: I just read through the thread and hope you don't take it the wrong way. I truly meant that I love that you called that woman middle aged.

[NRaleighLiberal]

26. ...coming in to say I am surprised at the Trader Joe hate here and there...

Speaking only for the few regional ones I've shopped in, they tend to be frequented by Dems (most cars with Obama stickers in the lot), have upbeat, friendly staff, stock really high quality items at great prices - perhaps they are variable in different regions. Between a few trips to Costco, the Joe and a Farmers Market, we no longer go to standard grocery stores.

Compared to Aldi, it is night and day - the two Aldis I've shopped in have awful selections, out of code or off label products of really substandard quality. Cheap for sure, and worth every penny I suppose....

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. Oh no! I don't hate Trader Joes. I love them! I just hate the one closest to me because

it's infested with pubbies and teabaggers. But that's its location.

Love Costco.
Love Aldis.
Love Sprouts.

I still love Trader Joes, but not their clientele here. They're the judgmental types who put their noses in the air when Aldis came to town because..."Erhmighod! I don't recognize these labels!"

I miss my MI Trader Joes.

[NRaleighLiberal]

30. interesting to find it variable - I've been in them in MA (near Boston) and a few in NC

pretty much solid Dem shoppers. I wish our Aldi's had better stuff...we do poke our heads in there now and then in hope!

[ScreamingMeemie]

31. It is smack dab in the middle of the Woodlands (a planned urban development) that is

home to a lot of oil people down here. I am hoping they'll build one in Spring someday. It gets a lot of business so there's hope.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

34. Sibelius is really under performing in her job. This should be known by everyone following the ACA.

very frusrating, to say the least.