Pros
There are substantial opportunities for growth, as long as you are comfortable with the things Safeway expects of you; In my time with Safeway I advanced very quickly (less than two years) to being one of the most powerful people in the store. When I became management I was given good training both at the store and through a seminar course. The benefits are the only reason I stay at Safeway; Similar/superior benefits are available elsewhere, but Safeway is the best job in my community. Pay increases are based on the number of hours you have worked.
Cons
My job at Safeway is a union job. This has its benefits, but Safeway is a large enough company that the union does not provide much that you would not get otherwise. I have worked for Safeway for four years with three of those as management, and my compensation is not equal to my responsibilities. As a PIC I am left in charge of the store in the absence of the store manager and assistant manager, and my wage does not seem fair to me, since I sometimes run the entire store. Some men that I work with work very hard and earn their pay, but some men who have worked at the store for less time with equal/lesser job responsibilities make journeyman wage, which is $2.15 per hour more than I do. Some cashiers who were hired at the same time I was make the minimum possible because any pay raises they would have received were nullified by the minimum wage being increased by more than their pay-scale increase. Cost-of-living increases are only given when minimum wage goes up, and only to those making minimum wage. The pay scale is based on hours worked and not performance. This is beneficial to people who do their jobs, but it is a disadvantage to people who work above-and-beyond. Union contracts vary between districts, so the step progressions in different districts are not always the same.
