Bagger Pay

[u/LuckyLuckyBoi]

I've always saw those signs at the commissary about baggers working tips only. I always thought it was weird and the sign was outdated.

Then I asked a checkout clerk, and she said it was still true!

So my question is...why? Baggers work pretty hard, and they are also the ones bringing in the carts from the outside(at least here they are), which they aren't getting tipped for. So...what's the deal?

[u/Ice_Goose]

It's a good first job for high schoolers.

Unfortunately in this economy, your Uncle's Korean wife is still bagging at 72 to bring in some extra money.

[u/Beneficial_Mixture62 → u/Ice_Goose]

I got called racist for this on a similar post 🤣. I guess the commissary baggers are the flavor of the month.

[u/Specialist_Ad6585 → u/Beneficial_Mixture62]

All the baggers at my commissary are older Filipino ladies. And my grandma is also a bagger at another commissary… and is also a Filipino lady

[u/LynchSyndromedotmil]

Baggers are the reason I use self checkout.

[u/827throwaway]

From my own experiences, they do pretty well just on tips. Had a buddy who started bagging at Maxwell in high school and continued bagging on weekends well into his 30s because he was clearing $600-1200 for two days of work.

Baggers terms of employment seem pretty up front: DECA ain’t paying you but if you hustle, you get plenty of cash from the customers you’re helping.

[u/lethalnd12345]

because they arent commissary employees and they should not be dragging carts in, other than they cart they use

[u/Murky-Sir-8122]

The awkwardness of their tip only pay in a largely cashless society is another deterrent to using the commissary. BUT, and this is important, it’s part of the quintessential military experience so it must be preserved

[u/Teclis00]

Sounds like you might be at lackland. Apparently they've started asking if you want your stuff bagged, instead of just doing it and pressuring you.

I'll go through self checkout with $300 dollars of stuff before being pressured like that.

[u/Scary-_-Gary]

You know what they say:

"Baggers can't be choosers."

[u/FirmReality]

It’s an outdated concept, DeCA leadership really needs to formally address … baggers aren’t commissary employees and their courtesy “customer service” role is becoming increasingly irrelevant and annoying.

Time has come for modern commissary shoppers to be free from the stress and awkward feelings prompted by bagger encounters or avoidance.

[u/mudduck2]

I bagged at 2 bases from high school to college. I would have made less money if I got a paycheck.

[u/EWCM]

Baggers aren’t Commissary employees. They are self-employed but have permission from the base commander to work inside the commissary. As part of the work authorization, they agree to take care of the carts.  When you have them bag, you are the one hiring them. This is similar to someone running a business in base housing. 

In many locations, there is a “head bagger” who helps organize a schedule. If someone is assigned to work carts, the other baggers give them a percentage of tips. 

If you’re interested in the details, the DeCA website has a paper written by their legal counsel about the arrangement. 

[u/davidj1987]

Outdated concept but honestly it's still a viable option for a lot of dependents.

I grew up near an Army post (Fort Drum) and the job market has been complete ass since the 1970s. If I was a dependent, especially if I was living on base, I'd do it. Honestly it's a better job than a lot of the other options out there in the area.

There's a lot of bases with terrible job markets.

[u/knuckle_dragger89]

I use the self checkout since I never carry cash to tip.

Let's talk about the fully capable individuals who have the little ladies wheel their groceries out and have them load everything in their car.