Pros
There are an interesting cast of characters to meet. You will make friends and generally enjoy coming to work as long as they stick around. Once you get some seniority, things become markedly easier. The benefits WERE okay when I was there, but they have seriously cut back on employee benefits several years ago. I was on a grandfathered deal from when I started before the cut-backs took effect.
Cons
There is no room for advancement and the environment is toxic. The Union is worthless and exists to take your money, no more no less. There's warfare between shifts as well as full and part-timers. "It's Not My Job To Do X" is a common phrase. The Peter AND the Dilbert Principle are in effect here for management. Managers who are good at their jobs and are well liked by the grunts don't last and will inevitably be shuffled around and replaced by abject stereotypes of bad managers. The experiences of stores vary wildly from place to place, with some locations being more tolerable than others simply because of who runs it. Clerks and Office Space jokes fully apply to every facet of the job.