Essay - Building a Power Base Case#40: the Luggers Versus the Butchers...

Building a Power B*****se

Case#40: The Luggers Versus the Butchers

This is a paper that concentrates on building a power base and answers questions proposed in a case study.

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Food Merchand**********g Corporation, based in northern New Jersey, is a comp*****ny that deals with a variety of prepackaged meats, along ***** beef ***** needs to be cut by butchers. This company is responsible for sending the finished product to various markets, especially in the Midwest.

The company has two main types of employees, ***** butchers and the luggers.

Original Characteristic ***** the Jobs

***** luggers and butchers originally had certain characteristics of *****ir jobs. The luggers were responsible ***** unloading ***** stocking the *****ef. ***** required lifting 200 pounds ***** beef all day and only those who were physically fit could perform this duty. When the work slowed down, *****y were assigned other tasks to perform.

***** had the job of sawing the beef ***** cutting it into a ***** of cuts of meats. They were required to stay on the line throughout the day and could not leave their generalized work area.

***** in Characteristics

The ***** characteristics changed approximately eight years ago, when the warehouse became unionized. The employees with ***** most seniority ***** given the first choice of job position. The older men who had been with ***** company for years preferred the higher paying, less strenuous ***** of butcher. The re*****ing employees ***** no option other than to become *****.

Status Levels

The status levels among the warehouse were determined by different factors. The butcher's position was considered the much more desirable position six years *****. ***** butchers were paid a higher salary to stand in one area and cut the meat.

Luggers, however, had the hard job of carrying over 200 pounds of meat from railroad cars ***** ***** loading dock. Also, while the ***** made e*****ugh to support their families, ***** of the luggers had to work second jobs at night.

Cohesiveness

There were some factors th***** influenced group cohesiveness between luggers and butchers. They each had their own jobs to ***** and originally there was no competition between the two groups, leading to numerous friendships among ***** workers.

***** progressed and the luggers started ***** utilize a new portable rail system that enabled them to make tips by unloaded freight *****. They no longer had ***** carry the heavy loads ***** ***** able to make more than the butchers. This created disharmony among the two *****, that ***** ***** been close. The ***** found if they worked together as a team, they could unload the freight cars f*****ter and thus ***** more money in *****. This quickly lead the luggers to ***** a cohesive group, ***** ***** butchers started to associate mainly ***** themselves, as they found ***** position w***** ***** longer the high paying, ***** job it once was.

Conclusion

The employees of ***** ***** were at one time a close *****. When the union came in, ***** ***** characteristics changed *****