Posts tagged Albertsons
Kroger, Albertsons gained upper hand with Colorado workers through unlawful pact, lawsuit claims
November 27, 2024 // The union for the chains’ employees had a weaker hand in negotiating wages because Albertsons agreed not to poach its rival’s workers during a strike, a complaint filed Monday alleges.
Kroger e-commerce center drivers vote to join Teamsters
August 29, 2024 // The facility in Georgia is set to become the grocer’s second fulfillment center where drivers have agreed to unionize.
Workers at Portland-area Fred Meyer stores to go on strike starting Wednesday morning
August 28, 2024 // Union leaders say the strike is necessary to encourage Kroger to reach a deal. The sides still disagree on pensions and wage scales, among other items. An unfair labor practices strike, often referred to as a ULP, is a common tool used by organized labor and, by definition, is a limited-duration protest. “A ULP strike is crucial to force Fred Meyer to comply with their obligations as an Employer to their Employees,” Dan Clay, president of UFCW Local 555 said in a statement, adding that members overwhelmingly approved the strike.
Kroger e-commerce center workers vote to join Teamsters
May 23, 2024 // “We expected better from these two longtime Teamster employers. Clearly, they are more interested in guaranteeing big payouts for management,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement at the time of that announcement. Last December, the Teamsters urged the Federal Trade Commission to reject Kroger and Albertsons’ plan to sell hundreds of stores and other assets to assuage antitrust concerns surrounding their proposed combination.
Commentary: Biden’s FTC Seeks To Protect Union Workers Through M&A Challenge
March 25, 2024 // For Kroger and Albertsons, the FTC claims that the companies aggressively compete with one another to hire and retain grocery workers, principally through collective bargaining negotiations with unions. The FTC claims that this competition results in higher wages, better benefits, and improved working conditions for employees. The proposed acquisition would eliminate or greatly curtail this competition, threatening the ability of hundreds of thousands of grocery store workers to secure stronger contracts with improved wages and benefits.
How the Kroger-Albertsons merger could impact union workers, if it happens
March 5, 2024 // Antitrust experts have said that if the FTC lawsuit derails the merger, it could set a new precedent. It could also help cement the power of unions in the grocery industry and enable them to organize other workplaces. Perhaps more importantly, it goes beyond the more immediate concerns associated with a merger—such as layoffs—and raises broader questions about the long-term effects of undermining the right to strike for unionized workers. “I think it shows an innovative and creative approach,” Lieberwitz says. “The FTC’s concerns are, of course, broader, but this is a response that looks at the ways in which unionized workforces are essential to the welfare of labor and the labor market.”
Will The Union for Kroger and Safeway’s Workers Torpedo the Supermarket Giants’ Merger?
May 8, 2023 // The UFCW has been skeptical of the merger since it was announced last year. It released a statement in November that it “would oppose any merger that undermines the wages, jobs, benefits, and security of Kroger and Albertsons workers. We have repeatedly called on both Kroger and Albertsons to be fully transparent about this merger and to provide the information that every UFCW Local and member deserves. Our members have already sacrificed much over these many years, and they need to have a comprehensive understanding about what this deal means for them, their families, and the communities they serve.”
Workers protest ‘grocery monopoly’ merger of Kroger and Albertsons
April 7, 2023 // Dozens of local grocery workers gathered at the Lakewood Ralphs store Thursday to protest the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons Companies, which they say will result in store closures, layoffs and higher prices for customers. UFCW locals represent more than 100,000 Kroger and Albertsons employees in 11 states and D.C. The merger could put upward of 5,750 unionized employees out of work, leaders estimate. Over 100 organizations have created a coalition to “Stop the Merger,” which is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to block the joining of the two grocery giants. “It is critical that we remain strong and united to protect workers, customers, food suppliers and communities from the disastrous effect of this merger,” Local 324 President Andrea Zinder said during the event, adding that closures would increase food deserts locally and across Southern California. “Customers who already pinch pennies to afford groceries for their families will see even higher prices. We can’t let that happen.”
Smart & Final warehouse workers vote to unionize
February 15, 2023 // Last November, the Teamsters union said its members ratified a new contract covering 1,500 warehouse workers and truck drivers at The Kroger Co., providing improvements in wages, benefits, and working conditions. A report from Bloomberg law, meanwhile, found that the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents 835,000 grocery workers in the U.S. and Canada, more than doubled its victory count in 2022, winning 111 of its 158 elections. That compares with 51 victories in 74 elections in 2021.
Imperfect Foods Workers Vote to Officially Unionize Clackamas-Based Delivery Drivers
November 17, 2022 // Local drivers for Imperfect Foods, the grocery delivery service specializing in “rescued” produce, have voted to officially unionize. Drivers working out of the company’s Clackamas facility are joining United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 555, which also represents workers at groceries like Safeway, Albertsons, and Fred Meyer. The newly unionized employees hope to negotiate for higher wages, guaranteed raises, safety standards, and fairly distributed delivery routes, though the union does plan to solidify the goals of their upcoming contract bargaining through union member surveys.