What do you do to protect the jobs of others?

I don’t take actions “to protect jobs”. Life doesn’t work that way.

I don’t use the self check out most times, because I am paying for someone else to do the work and to pack the bags. I do patronize tha Amazon’s Go Store, because I can walk in, grab what I want, and walk right out.

The jobs you are “protecting” aren’t skilled, nor are they of any real value to the economy. Better to retrain such people for 21st century jobs.

I mostly don’t use self checkout, mostly.
When I need work dpne on my car or house, I have professionals do it.

I hate self check outs, because of taking jobs from someone.
They claim it doesn’t yeah then why is there such line ups and 6 or more closed check outs?
HIRE PEOPLE ! to fill those, not direct the public to self check outs
I hate getting a machine when phoning a business,HIRE more people to fill those spots.
At a fast food place,if the place is packed I will take my tray to the garbage,but won’t if the place is slow.
I don’t do on line banking because I prefer to actually go to the Bank and deal with live people.
Don’t know if that saves jobs or is just me .

@SQUEEKY2 You reminded me that when I call a doctor’s office if I’m going to get a receptionist, and not be able to speak to a doctor, I rather have an answering machine where I can leave a full message, then rely on someone’s shorthand to write up a message. Its probably the only circumstance I prefer the machine.

Erm…I try really hard to limit firing, I think.

I consume and spend money.

Individual consumption habits are not going to make a difference. Waiting in longer lines to avoid self-checkout isn’t going to do anything. Helping workers requires collective action. Support unions. Never cross a picket line.

@hmmmmmm Well, we can’t all be union organizers and enough people doing something like not using self-checkout can help a little. (And of course, I would never cross a picket line.)

I was very proud of my community during the Stop and Shop strike, the parking lot was empty, the people on the line had so much support, even from store management. I heard that other stores didn’t fare so well. :-(

@janbb – 31,000 workers went out on strike last month here in New England (Stop & Shop). The support they had was great – people would stop by the picket lines with donuts, coffee, and hot food. They also setup a fund for the striking workers to help out financially that we could contribute to. The local chapters of DSA organized support for the workers, having people join them on the picket line in solidarity. The Teamsters and other unions joined in, refusing to cross the picket line and make deliveries.

There were, however, some people who decided that it was more important to shop there and not be inconvenienced. There were also scabs that were bused in from remote locations and allowed access with police protection. Some stores closed altogether.

Anyway, my point was that stores don’t care if you want choose to wait an extra five minutes in line in order to not use the self-checkout. You’re still spending money there. They don’t need to hire more workers. Stop & Shop also started using robots that roam around the store. Self-checkout lines and robots don’t make demands about healthcare, pay, etc. – and they don’t form unions. The move towards automation is happening whether or not people decide to wait longer for a real person. But collective action is the only chance people have in delaying or pushing back against such moves.

@canidmajor – Glad to hear that your local S&S had great support!

Not a comeback to the above but another comment. I try to shop locally when I can rather than ordering from Amazon.

The only jobs I support to protect are the coroners and morticians.

I buy local and use local workers for everything possible.

But I choose self-checkout usually, since human cashiers are a little too chatty. The last time I used a human she checked my scratch n sniff liquor….I was like, okay weirdo, it’s not a gift for you…haha!

@SQUEEKY2 those ridiculous lines were there before they ever installed self checkout. They don’t hire more people because they don’t need to. It doesn’t cost them a thing to make us wait. All the extra checkouts are there for one reason, and one reason only: Christmas.
They aren’t going to hire extra people to answer the phones for your convenience. They don’t care. They only care about their bottom line.

I use the self checkouts because it’s a lot faster and I hate waiting.

Things change, people adapt. Anyone here remember the full service filling stations? Do they even have those any more? How many people “lost their jobs” when we went to self pumping? Are they still unemployed do you suppose?

Here’s a short video on the Stop & Shop strike.

@Dutchess_III In New Jersey, you are not allowed to pump your own gas. This has been in effect to preserve those jobs.

@Dutchess_III Actually there’s a lot of places ‘regular’ folks don’t pump their own gas, I think it’s hella weird. Some people say they don’t even know how! lol

I have not seen one since the 70’s.

@Dutchess_III I think there’s ONE left here in Springfield, people flock over there still.

I never use self checkout. If lines are long, I will sometimes ask at Customer Service if the worker can ring up my stuff, and usually, since I don’t buy tons of stuff, they will.

There are a few gas stations around here that have full service, and I will use them when it’s convenient because I hate pumping gas, especially when it’s really cold outside. I don’t do that to save jobs, I just do it because I hate pumping gas.

I work for a union and I’m a union member, so I will never cross a picket line. I live very close to CT and I’m in some CT groups on FB. People were talking about how they wanted to shop when Stop and Shop was on strike, or how they wanted to go in there to get their Dunkin Donuts or their banking done or their pharmacy. Luckily I’m not that desperate for any of those things and I would never cross the line. I’ve been on many strike lines supporting other unions and I know it means a lot to the strikers when others support them. Even if you drive by and honk to show your support, it means a lot to them.

Is there really anything you can do to protect other people’s jobs by your behavior? It’s always a ying and yang situation. If everybody quits using self service checkouts, then the people who sell them, and the people who build them and the people who install them are out of work.

That ^^^ works on the assumption that that is the only thing that the self-checkout device company manufactures. I doubt that would be the case.

Some automation is obviously a good idea, keeping people from highly hazardous jobs, but I try not to support businesses that are forcing out the workers with unnecessary automation.

It would at least cut out a line which might mean layoffs.