I have not but I can tell you I get tons of applications from people from both Hard to adapt to the WF culture. If you can it's a good gig Costco doesn't have a ton of help in the departments b/c they do a lot of sales of Primnals
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Joe Parajecki
Operations Manager/ Partner
Kettle Range Meat Company, Milwaukee WI
Member Meat Cutter Hall of Fame and The Butcher's Guild
I was with Whole Foods for 7 years. 6 of those years were as a cutter. You will need to work 30+ hours a week to be considered full time. During my time there, the outstanding medical benefits they had been offering for years took its toll on the companys wallet so they pretty much all but stopped hiring any full time workers. I started with no experience as a cutter, and after being trained by my boss (whom i knew before i got the job) I easily got about $1.00 in raises a year. They used to give raises every 6months, now only once a year. If you are not a skilled cutter and they decide to send you to the year long Whole Foods version of an apprenticeship, which is basically working with other aspiring cutters in a selected store once a week. Upon completion, you receive an immediate $2.00 raise. The benefits are not nearly as good as the perks... gainsharing was a big perk. we got a bonus every month or so that was based on our labor cost and how much we did in sales. Its a good company if you dont mind hard work. I hated that place while I was there, now I am stuck at "Sprouts", a whole foods clone, making $6 less an hour and cutting so much product on a daily basis, I dont even have time to take pride in my work. If you have an offer at whole foods and your a good worker, take it and dont look back, or I will. Good luck. Hope I helped
TThanks for the input guys. I'm not considering going anyplace anytime soon.I just wanted to hear how things are in the non traditional meat markets. Where I am in Ohio, there isn't much more than Krogers, Meijer and great Scots.Walmart is in town too., but that is another thread for another time.
I see this thread is quite old but if you still need info hope this helps.
I have cut for Costco for 6 years, although I'm in Canada. They do pay well, old top rate if hired before 2010 here was $25.90/hr, after 2010 is $24.15/hrand part time is guaranteed 25/hrs a week but usually around 32 average. full time is 40 hrs slightly better benefits. here they offer benefits to permanent part time employees, which are very good. Decent place to work if you can get in. Non-union but Costco has a collective agreement, that's better than ones I had when I was in a Union Job up here. They also, at least in Canada offer $4/hr more for any employees working on Sundays. Hope this helps, don't know how comparative it is to the US though?????
HATED MY TIME AT WHOLE FOODS.... Place is such a fraud, felt like I sold my soul when I worked for them. Now I'm at a store competing with Whole Foods and we destroy them, and constantly have WFM workers trying to work for us. From my understanding the head guy John McKay doesn't eat meat, and his goal was to eliminate meat depts. all together, that was from my team leader few years back. Don't get me wrong, if you have a good team leader and your in with the leadership it could be alright, but too much BS and really zero incentive to work hard. Worked behind lots of counters, and Whole Foods ranks at the bottom in many categories(including cleanliness).
I've been with Costco 21 years and this is my last week. Quitting and going to work for the government. I'll give you the whole pay structure at Costco US my meat cutters hire in between 12.00 per hour and 24.55 an hour which is the current top pay. Time and half on Sunday's all this changes next contract/employee agreement next March which I've seen .50 a hour in raises every year for 20 years. The main kicker are bonuses after you get to top pay and have worked for 10800 hours you get $4000 a year to $8000 a year based on years of service. Which equates to most full time cutters making $55,000 to $60,000 a year. Part timers get all the same pay and bonuses and slightly less benefits based on hours worked. Now main thing is getting your foot in the door which means a wrapper or clean-up which only tops out at $3.20 a hour less than a cutter which means a clean/up person can also pull in $50,000 a year. If your willing to clean up that's your quickest way in. hope this helps. Canada as you can see your getting screwed need to negotiate better pay mainly Sunday pay to keep up with US 10 years ago I think Canada made at least $8 a hour more than US
