Undervalued, underappreciated and arguably overworked, the American Bagger, formerly known as a “Bag Boy” back in the day, is one of the under celebrated entry jobs in the American work force. While the position has grown in complexity and scale over the past decades, the best grocery chains continue to invest in these junior positions to identify skills and talents that can progress to cashier (think banking skills), stock clerk (think fulfillment center) and or management material. It is much more than just “paper or plastic,” baggers must have the mental agility to organize, anticipate and forecast content packaging before placement in the bag. You either “have it” or you don’t.
Bagging is never as simple as bread and eggs on top, give me a break. This is actually insulting to those of us who have lived the life, earned the stripes and been there in the trenches inheriting three carts worth of groceries backed up on the conveyor belt with an angry cashier and customer looking at you when you arrive like “hello, where you been?!” In a word, pressure. The clock has been ticking and one of your bagger-mates allowed this problem to manifest by not having the courage to jump in and meet the challenge. It’s just like anything in life, there are always a few slackers not carrying their weight. It really chaps my ass! To my fellow baggers, get in the fight, grab the mantle and seize the moment. This is your opportunity for greatness.
Many in the bagger community feel targeted by the Obama recession. In the 1980’s the American Bagger Society had 327,543 active contributing members spread across all 50 states and US territories. Morale was high, positions were valued and opportunity abound. Today there are less than 97,000 members beat down by out-sourcing, no sourcing and self-service aisles. Bagger nation is on the run. Some in the bagger community have even reported being targeted by the IRS for their tips undergoing audits and backroom pressure. We have been blamed for everything from Global Warming to polluting landfills with paper and plastic. It’s outrageous. The biggest scheme going on these days are those crappy recycle bags the big store chains give out guilting customers away from classic paper bags. Stores charge you a buck each for these lousy bags and then you leave the damn thing in the car or house every freaking time you go to the store! Then the cashier looks at you like, “forget your bag again dumbass?”
Baggers deserve an opportunity to earn a living wage. Between the insults, the lack of appreciation and the pressure, we are finding solidarity with garbage men. Their industry too is under assault through automated garbage trucks with mechanical arms that are displacing the garbage truck back-enders. From Super Bagger to no bagger leaves one question — can the professional be rebuilt or is this one more loss to the American fabric that goes away like the milkman?
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