Town & Country Instacart Partnership UFCW 3000 Grievance Update

On June 17, 2026 Town & Country informed our Union that they would be discontinuing the eCommerce department at their worksites. In that notice, they neglected to inform our Union that they would then outsource that department to Instacart to do picking and staging of products for customers; something we found out by members reaching out to their Union Representatives after hearing it from management. Following a contentious meeting with Town & Country representatives, where they attempted to convince Union Representatives that outsourcing work is necessary to the business, our Union filed a grievance. Outsourcing is a direct violation of the Bargaining Unit recognition language of our Union Contract.  

What happens next?  

Town & Country’s response to our grievance stated that they have chosen not to pursue the Instacart partnership anymore. That is a win. However, they believe that they have to conduct layoffs because they are unable to outsource a department in the store. Some newly hired grocery members may receive a notice from management that they will be laid off from Town & Country. This is not the right decision and we believe Town & Country can maintain its staffing levels without layoffs.

If you receive a notice about being laid off, please reach out to your Union Representative>>  

We hope that Town & Country can be a viable competitor to the large, chain grocery stores. That growth cannot come at the expense of outsourcing our Union work to a third party that doesn’t pay the benefits or provide the guarantees of our Union Contract. It is our hope that Town & Country maintains their higher quality of products, services, and workplace culture. That being said, we should be prepared for a campaign from Town & Country in our upcoming negotiations where they pursue takeaways in our contract. If this is the future of Town & Country – cutting departments, conducting layoffs, and outsourcing our work – we need to fight back.  

If you’re interested in standing up for your coworkers and protecting our union contract, ask your union representative about becoming a shop steward.