Hi there, long time lurker first time poster.
I'm sure this may have been discussed before but as far as a strategy for retail and fast food workers to unionize has anybody discussed the over reliance that these large retail or fast food corporations have on their lowest level supervisors?
The front line immediate supervisors at fast food joints and medium size retail locations are generally responsible for about 50% of the productivity at these locations and the other 50% goes to their subordinates to split amongst two to five people. I'm not trying to say that the front line workers don't pull their weight but if it wasn't for these immediate supervisors and their efforts most of the productivity would be lost. Even in Big Box stores, the frontline supervisors are responsible for overseeing that 90% of the work is being done. These frontline supervisor positions in any of these settings are essentially the back bone to smooth operation.
That being said it seems like a good strategy to unionize would to have all people or people that get promoted in these positions in a location to strike immediately or quit. Almost any of these stores would fall into chaos if there were not a steady immediate supervisor stream. Companies greatly over rely on these people and generally only pay them anywhere from .50 to maybe an extra 2 dollars an hour compared to the entry level frontline staff. Too many people take on the weight of most of these stores business operations for a few nickels and dimes an hour. If you can create enough dissent in these frontline management positions and keep the pressure up on upper management many would have to succumb due to the high value that these employees actually have.
I'm not saying that this alone would work to help unionize or change a workplace environment, but targeting the immediate supervisors would be my number one objective of who I would convert to the union lines. Just a rant and just sayin'