September Contract Action Team Meetings
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Contract Action Team Meetings are a time when we can get together and plan for the upcoming contract negotiations, discuss workplace issues, and take action together!
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Grocery East Contracts Ratified!
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This week we ratified 10 contracts by an overwhelming majority!
It was a great week of voting in Lewiston, Clarkston, Walla Walla, Moses Lake, and Ephrata and sharing our new contract that won:
Strongest journey wage increases in any past Grocery Store negotiation! We increased our Journeyperson wages by $4.00/hr or more over the term of the contract.
Won an “All Purpose Clerk” scale with historic pay raises for many departments —some will see an over 25% wage increase over the term of the contract.
More than quadrupling our wage escalators —that means strong wage increases throughout the pay scale when minimum wage goes up and when workers are moving through the apprentice rates.
Healthcare benefit improvements with NO increases to healthcare premiums or deductibles. Healthcare eligibility will now be based on all compensable hours.
Benefits Holiday for healthcare premiums – For Safeway/Albertsons the holiday months are: June, July, August, and September. For Kroger the holiday months of: May, June, July, and August.
Major improvements to our vacation banks that will ensure that we get vacation based off of hours worked.
Automatic pension funding increases that go up every time wages increase.
Dedicated money to fund training and workforce development to ensure that we get the training we need to do our jobs and prepare for the future of the industry.
Stronger safety language to address top issues we face in our stores.
This is our first union negotiations for these contracts since we became UFCW 3000 and our combined strength has helped us win record wage increases and major contract improvements. In the midst of a proposed grocery mega-merger, we’ve sent a clear message —We have power in our communities, we have a voice in our workplace, we have a strong new contract that will be the backbone for our future, and we are going to continue to fight for more!
If you have any questions about our new contract please reach out to your Union Representative.
UFCW 3000 Member Story: Matthew Leon
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Matthew was hired on as a meat wrapper at Safeway in March of 2023. After a few paychecks he noticed he was not being paid as promised, so he talked to his union representative.
Read MoreGrocery East Contract Votes Set!
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After nearly six months of bargaining with Albertson/Safeway and Kroger for a new contract that respects our work, increases our wages, and improves our retirement and healthcare, we are holding a contract votes across Washington, Idaho and NE Oregon! This notice serves to inform all members that a critical membership meeting will be held on August 20, 21 & 22, 2024. We will be conducting a vote on the fully recommended tentative agreement our bargaining team reached on April 30, 2024.
Read MoreUFCW 3000 Member Story: April Webb
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April Webb has worked for Macy's at the Lancôme cosmetics counter for just 1 year, but has quickly grown to become a skilled workplace leader. As a new hire during the last Macy’s contract campaign in 2023, she started by getting her coworkers to wear union buttons and to participate in the summer and fall info pickets. When Macy’s workers went on strike over Macy’s unfair labor practices in November she helped make sure her coworkers in cosmetics were ready to strike on Black Friday.
Read MoreGrocery Store Workers in Cheney, La Grande, Hermiston, Pendleton, Enterprise & Baker City ratify new contract!
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This is our first union negotiations since we became UFCW 3000 and our combined strength has helped us win a contract with record wages and major contract improvements. In the midst of a proposed grocery mega-merger, we’ve sent a clear message —We have power in our communities, we have a voice in our workplace, and we have a strong new contract that will be the backbone for our future.
Read MoreUFCW 3000 Member Story: Alycia Barrow
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Alycia Barrow has worked in the grocery industry since she was 19 years old, and has stepped-up on and off the job to make her community a better place, “ I have a diverse set of skills, from being trained on de-escalation tactics, to knowing how to deal with someone in a mental health/addiction crisis, and who to call. I am also trained on how to use Narcan and know general community resources, having to navigate those systems for my own family.”
Read MoreUFCW 3000 Member Story: Roberta Bollin
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Roberta Bollin (Birdie) has been with the Burlington Fred Meyer store since 2002 and loves working for a company that is represented by a union and being able to help solve problems on every day working conditions, like being able to take breaks, with management without having to fear repercussions.
Read MoreSpokane Grocery store workers overwhelmingly ratify a new three year contract!
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This is our first union negotiations since we became UFCW 3000 and our combined strength has helped us win a contract with record wages and major contract improvements. In the midst of a proposed grocery mega-merger, we’ve sent a clear message —We have power in our communities, we have a voice in our workplace, and we have a strong new contract that will be the backbone for our future.
We did this together, by standing strong and showing up for each other and our communities.
The many improvements in the ratified contract include:
Strongest journey wage increases in any Spokane Grocery Store negotiation! We increased our Journey wages by $4.00 or more.
Big retro checks for journey going back to contract expirations January 20, 2024.
Won an “All Purpose Clerk” scale with historic pay raises for many departments —for some over 25% wage increase during the course of this contract.
More than quadrupling our wage escalators —that means strong wage increases throughout the pay scale when minimum wage goes up and when workers are moving through the apprentice rates.
Healthcare with benefit improvements with NO increases to healthcare premiums or deductibles. Healthcare eligibility will now be based on all compensable hours.
Major improvements to our vacation banks that will ensure that we get vacation based off of hours worked.
Automatic pension funding increases that go up every time wages increase.
Dedicated money to fund training and workforce development to ensure that we get the training we need to do our jobs and prepare for the future of the industry.
Stronger safety language to address top issues we face in our stores.
“This is the most money I thought I'd ever see coming out of Kroger. The pressure we applied across all our stores was amazing! I am feeling amazed!” -Katrina Keffer, Fred Meyer
“I am really excited for my co-workers who worked for years in the Deli, my co-workers will get wage increases that they deserve. This will help make sure we can keep people here in the store.” -Jeff Yergens, Safeway
Update on Efforts to Oppose the Proposed Kroger + Albertsons Mega-Merger
/Our efforts to stop the proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons reached a major milestone on Monday February 26 when the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and nine State Attorneys General filed a lawsuit to challenge the merger. UFCW 3000 has been a national leader in opposing the proposed merger since the day it was announced in October of 2022. Since that time, we have been actively working with a core group of other UFCW locals as well as a wide range of over 150 diverse partner organizations across the nation and developed a “No Grocery Merger” coalition.
The effort to oppose the merger is not over yet. Kroger and Albertsons have both said they will challenge the lawsuits in court, so we expect it could be many months until an outcome is known. We will keep up the fight. And for right now we will also celebrate this major win in the struggle to protect workers, shoppers, and communities from the greed and over-reach of Kroger and Albertsons.
Another example of our effort to protect workers was our recent win on February 22 when we were successful in getting the Washington State Legislature to pass SB 6007 – a new law to provide protections for grocery store workers from the harm that can result when chains merge and the consequences include layoffs and store closures.
For the thousands of members who have acted together – we are making a difference. The actions have included signing petitions, handing out leaflets to customers, raising our voices in local and national news stories, signing in support of our new WA law to protect workers, and so much more. And it shows that when workers and community come together and act as one, we can push back against some of the largest corporations in America.
Instead of spending all this time and money on a proposed merger that if allowed to proceed would lead to higher prices, closed stores, lost jobs, a reduced ability for union workers to negotiate strong contracts, and giving away billions to wealthy investors, these companies should be doing the necessary work to provide better wages and working conditions, and making stores safer.
More Detailed Information:
On Monday February 26, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) challenged the proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons siting concerns about how the merger would harm consumers and workers. Nine State Attorneys General (Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming) joined the legal action as well. These are above and beyond the two other Attorneys General lawsuits from Washington and Colorado. Your support of the “No Grocery Merger” coalition is an important part of what led to this success. The 150 organizations across the nation who joined together last year to fight this merger was a show of both the power of solidarity and a diverse array of interests.
We remain committed to continue our diligent efforts to defend workers, customers and communities from the devastating harm that would be caused if such a merger were to proceed. And we also look forward to beginning to fix the broken food systems in this nation.
Additional information and past updates
FTC Complaint: Kroger's/Albertsons: Administrative Part 3 Complaint (Public) (ftc.gov)
Our press release including link to coalition partners and highlights of some of the activities over past 16 months to fight the proposed merger.
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FTC Rejects Kroger - Albertsons Proposed Megamerger!
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Press Release: UFCW Locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770, 1564, 3000
For immediate release: February 26, 2024
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421
UFCW Local Unions Applaud the FTC Decision to Reject Kroger and Albertsons Proposed Megamerger
UFCW local unions representing more than 100,000 grocery store employees working at Albertsons and Kroger-owned stores in over a dozen states and the District of Columbia applaud the FTC Decision to reject this proposed megamerger.
UFCW local unions have loudly and soundly opposed the proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons since day one because the megamerger would have resulted in lost jobs, closed stores, food deserts, and higher prices with reduced food choices – all of this would have been destructive for workers, consumers, and entire communities. Importantly, the FTC decision recognizes the threat that the merger would have caused goes beyond consumers and calls out that it would also have damaged essential grocery store workers’ wages, benefits and working conditions.
The FTC deliberations over the past 16 months, and the evidence that was gathered directed their well-founded decision. This is a step in the right direction for building a better food system in this country. Now we need to do all we can to help defend this decision and to turn the discussion towards building a better system that is more accountable to workers, shoppers, and the community.
The coalition of UFCW locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770, 1564 and 3000 have been instrumental in the opposition to the proposed merger from the very beginning. Hundreds of actions, news stories, meetings with grocery store members, community, regulators and others and additional events have been part of that effort. Below is a varied sampling of some highlighted examples of this work.
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Linked here are a more full list of media coverage, and a long list of opposition coalition members:
October 2022
10/13 – Kroger and Albertsons, without any warning, make announcement of proposed merger.
10/13 – Group of local UFCW unions, taking advantage of close relationships forged through supportive and collaborative efforts with each other’s collective bargaining with national grocers, quickly convene and issue joint statement immediately raising concerns about the proposal. Within hours the initial news coverage that had simply contained Kroger’s statement becomes a broader story including very strong opposition and concerns.
10/22 – Joint press release by local UFCWs flags the proposed massive payout of $4 Billion by Albertsons to wealthy shareholders as part of the proposed merger. News coverage includes KIRO 7 TV story.
10/26 - Joint press release applauding lawsuits filed by Attorneys General in multiple jurisdictions to halt Albertsons special $4 billion payout to wealthy shareholders as part of the proposed merger which Albertsons initially announced would take place in early November. The Washington State AG case succeeds in halting this rushed payment. While it ends up being allowed to proceed, it is not until early 2023 and only after under-oath testimony from company executives disclosing critical inside information that had been unknown to the public and exposed some of the key motivations behind the proposed merger.
November 2022
11/29 Held in-person Press Conference in Washington DC with Presidents and members from the six local UFCWs of the newly formed coalition from across 12 states and the District of Columbia (Southern CA - UFCW 324 and 770, Northern CA – UFCW 5; Washington – UFCW 3000; CO & Wyoming – UFCW 7; DC and surrounding states – UFCW 400) and Teamsters local 38 representing over 100,000 Kroger and Albertsons. The press conference was held immediately prior to a planned US Senate Subcommittee hearing on the proposed merger and helped tell the story of the negative impacts of such a merger in local and national TV, print, and radio coverage.
December 2022
12/3 – Article goes into details about concerns. “EVERYONE SHOULD BE VERY SKEPTICAL OF THE SUPPOSED BENEFITS OF THE KROGER-ALBERTSONS MERGER - Kroger can’t help but promote its own interests over customers.”
January 2023
1/23 – Ongoing opposition by states and UFCW locals discussed in Supermarket News article..
February 2023
2/1 – More Perfect Union posts video discussing harms and concerns of proposed merger.
2/15 - Colorado Attorney General begins series of statewide listening sessions to hear from workers, community and others about their reactions to the proposed merger. UFCW Local 7 members attend these meetings and provide critical concerns about the proposal.
March 2023
3/24 – Launch of national coalition “NoGroceryMerger.com” and website as a one-stop for the anti-merger efforts with over 100 organizations. This also becomes a place to chronicle much of the media coverage around the country about the opposition and provides a degree of a check and balance to the Kroger and Albertson’s PR machinery. https://www.nogrocerymerger.com/news
April 2023
4/4-4/13 – Grocery store workers take actions in front of stores across the nation to connect with customers and share concerns about the proposed merger and how it would harm workers and customers with closed stores, lay-offs, higher prices, and in some locations food deserts.
May 2023
After months of deliberation and ultimately a unanimous vote at the UFCW International Convention opposing the merger, UFCW International Union announces opposition to the proposed Kroger Albertsons merger. National press coverage is widespread including a Wall Street Journal headline: “Biggest Grocery Union Opposes $20 Billion Kroger-Albertsons Deal - UFCW International is concerned about potential divestitures and stores’ future viability.”
June 2023
6/29 – A week of actions held by UFCW grocery store workers across the nation include many in California that generated local press coverage like KTLA 5 TV story: Southern California grocery workers rally against Albertsons-Kroger merger (youtube.com)
July 2023
7/26 – Coalition of UFCW locals issue statement condemning announced pay-outs of over $146 million to top executives if merger were approved. Coverage includes Cincinnati Enquirer article.
August 2023
8/23 – State Treasurers raise concerns about proposed merger. News stories include Bloomberg Law article: “Kroger Grocery Deal Will Harm Workers State Treasurers Tell FTC”
September 2023
9/20 – National press conference held by coalition of local UFCWs to expose concerns about the recently announced divestiture to C&S Wholesale. Generates significant local and national press coverage and begins the public discussion of major concerns about C&S as an inadequate proposed remedy to the proposed mergers anti-trust challenges. Results in many stories including Supermarket News story titled “UFCW cites ‘echoes of Haggen’ in proposed C&S deal”
9/27 – UFCW local 7 hold Town Hall with members to update on opposition to proposed merger and take questions. Thousands attend.
October 2023
November 2023
11/1 - FTC Chair Khan hold listening session in Denver and hears widespread concerns from workers, consumers, suppliers and others. Significant press coverage of event includes stories like the Colorado Public Radio story: “Grocery workers ask FTC chair to stop Kroger Albertsons merger during Denver visit” UFCW members from California, Washington and Colorado attend this important event to share their stories.
11/11 – Marshall Steinbaum, an economic from University of Utah, issues report that was supported by coalition of local UFCWs 5, 7, 324, 400, 770 and 3000, titled: Evaluating the Competitive Effect of the Proposed Kroger-Albertsons Merger in Labor Markets
11/14 – American Economic Liberties Project, hold national briefing and press event with UFCW grocery store members and representatives from five additional organizations including: Ranch Foods, Independent Grocers Association, Open Markets Institute, Farm Action and Alaska Public Interest Research Group
December 2023
12/11 – Teamsters International issues strong statement in opposition to merger divestiture proposal: TEAMSTERS CALL ON FTC TO REJECT KROGER-ALBERTSONS PROPOSED ASSET SALES TO C&S
January 2024
1/15 – UFCW local coalition Issues statement applauding Washington State Attorney General Lawsuit – with our quote in local and national press coverage of the lawsuit. Coverage includes national AP story: “Washington State Sues to Block Proposed Merger of Kroger and Albertsons Grocery Chains”
1/23 - Held two webinars (1/23 AM and PM) to update members on details of the proposed merger and collective efforts to fight the proposal with over 500 members in attendance.
1/25 - Held multiple meetings with Kroger as well as C&S Wholesale. We found out no new information in the meetings that dissuaded us from our position of opposition, in fact we found out additional concerning information as well continued to ask for information that was still not provided.
1/26 - Held national online press conference (1/26) to continue to clarify our position of opposition so media and members of the public understood our reasons and the various threats to workers, consumers and communities by both the proposed merger and the proposed divestiture plan – with over 50 reporters in attendance. Generated local and national press coverage educating the public, workers and others. Example: https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/grocery-worker-union-gives-update-proposed-kroger-albertsons-merger-timeline/
February 2024
2/1 - UFCW 3000 and Teamsters 38 hold live Telephone Town Hall to update and educate members, and answer questions of members with thousands of members in attendance.
2/14 – Colorado Attorney General files lawsuits against the merger. Local and national coverage. One example: CBS News Colorado: https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-attorney-general-files-lawsuit-block-merger-between-kroger-albertsons/
2/22 – The Washington State Legislature passed SB 6007 – a new law to provide protections for grocery store workers from the harm that can result when chains merge and the consequences include layoffs and store closures.
Black History Month Member Story: Sam Dancy
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Sam Dancy has been a union steward and workplace leader for nearly 30 years. Sam has served on the executive board of what was then UFCW Local 21 and, after the merger with Local 1439, he continues to serve on the executive board as a vice president of UFCW 3000. “I try to be a good steward and representative for my coworkers, union, and community,” is how Sam sees his work as a trade union activist.
Read MorePress Release: Opposition to Albertsons/Kroger Mega-Merger Gains Momentum
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For Immediate Release: February 20, 2024
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421
After States Sue to Block Proposed Albertsons + Kroger Mega-Merger, Opposition Led By UFCW Local Unions Gains Momentum
Our coalition of local UFCW unions, collectively representing over 100,000 Kroger and Albertsons workers in over a dozen states, welcomes the actions by the Colorado Attorney General last week, joining others in moves to block the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons.
Our coalition has been outspoken in its opposition to the proposed mega merger of Kroger and Albertsons since it was first announced by those companies in October of 2022. Over the last 16 months, our opposition has both deepened and broadened. The revelations contained in the lawsuits filed by the Attorney General of Washington last month and the Attorney General of Colorado last week, have only increased our opposition to the proposed merger and further exposed the damage it would inflict on consumers, workers, and communities if it were allowed to proceed. The addition of the companies’ deeply flawed divestiture plan has likewise increased our opposition as we believe it would result in the closure of grocery stores in hundreds of communities. Again, we oppose this merger in the strongest terms possible and remain hopeful for federal enforcement action to block it and protect consumers, workers, and the public.
Background: In addition to our coalition’s volumes of actions and press statements over the past 16 months and actions by others in the NoGroceryMerger.com coalition, the below are statements from the two International Unions representing most unionized grocery store and grocery warehouse workers:
Statement from UFCW International after a unanimous vote at the UFCW Convention to oppose the proposed merger: https://www.ufcw.org/press-releases/americas-largest-union-of-essential-grocery-workers-announces-opposition-to-kroger-and-albertsons-merger/)
Statement from Teamsters International in opposing the proposed divestiture: https://teamster.org/2023/12/teamsters-call-on-ftc-to-reject-kroger-albertsons-proposed-asset-sales-to-cs/
Stop the Merger Telephone Town Hall Call Thursday!
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Attention all UFCW 3000 Grocery Store Members. You are invited to join our live Telephone Town Hall on Thursday, February 1 at 4pm to hear updates on our efforts to oppose the Kroger and Albertsons’ proposed merger, and a live Question and Answer session with members on this important topic. We will be joined by our union’s top officers, experts, and also our partners from Teamsters 38.
When your phone rings Thursday at 4pm, just answer and you will join the call. If for some reason you do not get a call or you get disconnected, you can also join us by dialing 1-888-652-0383 and entering meeting ID 7803 during the time of the call.
National Press Conference on Opposition to Kroger and Albertsons’ Proposed Mega-Merger
/For Immediate Release – Wednesday January 24th, 2024
PRESS ADVISORY for Friday, January 26th, 2024 (9AM PST, 12 noon EST)
Virtual Press Conference. Register HERE in advance
Grocery Store Workers and their UFCW Local Unions Hold National Press Conference on Ongoing Efforts to Oppose Kroger and Albertsons’ Proposed Mega-Merger
What: A national press conference to update media and expose many of the troubling details underlying the proposed merger as well as debunking the claims being made by the companies about themselves, the reasons for the proposed merger in the 1st place, the troubling picture of C&S as the proposed divestiture company, and more. Short informational session will be followed by a Q and A session for the media.
Who:
Faye Guenther, President, UFCW 3000 (WA)
Tom Olson, Grocery store worker and UFCW 7 member (CO)
John Marshall, CFA, Capital Strategies Director, UFCW 324 (CA) and UFCW 3000 (WA)
Upon request, post event interviews can be arranged for media with local grocery store workers in Washington State. And interviews with grocery store members at UFCW locals in CA, WA, CO and the Washington DC/surrounding states areas can also be arranged.
When: Friday January 26, 2024: 9 AM PST, 12 Noon EST
Where: Pre-register here in advance of the press conference HERE >>
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421
UFCW 3000 Member Story: Shop Steward Matthew Kendrick
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Shop Steward Matthew Kendrick
Matthew Kendrick has been the shop steward at the Bremerton Fred Meyer for 4 years. As he has gotten more involved in helping and advocating for his coworkers, he decided to get trained to represent union members during investigatory meetings that could lead to discipline. Recently, he put that training to use when a coworker was being investigated around a shoplifting incident at the store.
Union members have the right to ask for representation before they answer questions that the member reasonably believes could result in discipline. This is often called Weingarten Rights (named after the 1975 Supreme Court case confirmed them), and they are key to ensuring that your right to “just cause” (due process) before employers issue discipline to union members.
The most important thing for union members to know is that they have to request representation before, or during, an investigatory meeting, management doesn’t have to. That is precisely what happened when a coworker contacted Matthew to represent them in an investigatory meeting!
Before the meeting even starts, Weingarten Stewards will make sure that the member understands that they have to answer questions, but that if management is asking leading or unfair questions, the steward can step in to object and advise the member on the best way to respond. Stewards and members also have the right to pause the meeting and find a private place to talk. Most of all, the steward takes notes on the member’s behalf and works with union staff to ensure that management is being fair both in its investigation and in any discipline issued.
Matthew did just that for his coworker and then advocated for reducing the discipline from termination to a written warning. Shoplifting policies are often very tough; terminations are often upheld even when the union files a grievance. But because shoplifting has become so widespread, blatant, and sometimes aggressive, UFCW 3000 reached an agreement with grocery store employers that termination is NOT always the right answer.
When discussing the incident with management, Matthew pointed out that his coworker had been with Fred Meyer for decades and had always been a model employee, sometimes spending more waking hours at Fred Meyer than at home. While there was a policy violation, the worker was acting to protect their coworkers and the place where they all spent so much of their lives, and a warning would correct the problem. Management agreed to reduce the discipline to a written warning instead of automatic termination!
Matthew used an important shop steward skill in this situation: negotiation and persuasion. Grievances and arbitrations are important to hold employers to account when there is no other choice when defending union members’ rights, but informally solving problems in cooperation can often get better results more quickly for workers when they are in a jam.
Matthew’s story is a great example of the difference that union representation can make in an investigatory meeting. And it happened because the worker requested representation!
If you would like to find out more about your rights as a union member, are interested in becoming a shop steward, or want to further your steward education, contact your rep or sign up for training here on our website.
UFCW 3000 Member Story: Amber Wise
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Amber Wise is truly one of the busiest UFCW 3000 members we have featured here in our Member Stories. Amber is an apprentice meatcutter at PCC Redmond, a mother of two children with her husband Daniel, is serving on the UFCW 3000 Racial Justice Advisory Board and on our Climate Justice Advisory Board, and to top it all off, she is running for public office…
Read MoreTown Hall Call Monday: Important Union Update on Kroger/Albertsons Merger
/Important Union Update on Kroger/Albertsons Merger
On Friday, Kroger and Albertsons announced plans to sell at least 413 stores across the country to C&S Wholesale Grocers (C&S) as part of the mega-merger of the two companies.
Our coalition of local unions have strongly opposed the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons since day one. Our position has not changed because of the recent news from Kroger and Albertsons of their plans to sell some stores.
Important point right off the bat -- this sale is not happening now and it’s contingent on the overall merger being approved, a merger we are fighting. As a result, this sales deal only moves ahead if and when the federal regulators who are reviewing the overall merger approve it. We don’t think this sales deal will appease the Federal Trade Commission or the various State Attorneys General that have expressed concerns over the merger.
An additional 237 stores may also be sold to C&S as part of the deal, depending on the results of the regulatory review of the merger with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The stores would not change hands unless and until the FTC approves the overall Kroger/Albertsons merger.
UFCW 3000 Telephone Town Hall Planned for Monday
We are planning a live Telephone Town Hall for our grocery store members on Monday, September 11 at 5 PM to share updated information and to address your questions. When your phone rings Monday at 5, just answer it and you will join the call. If for some reason, you don’t receive a call, you can call in to join us by dialing 1-877-365-5237 and entering meeting ID number 7585.
As of now, according to Korger and Albertsons, about ¼ of the stores to be sold to C&S, if and when the merger is completed, are in Washington state. The exact stores have not been identified at this time. There are no further details on store divestments available at this time. We will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available. We will use every available resource to enforce our contracts with Safeway and Kroger and protect our members.
#StopTheMerger Coalition
We remain opposed to the Kroger/Albertsons merger for the negative impact it will have on our members, customers and communities. That’s why we’ve partnered with more than 100 unions and organizations nationwide in the Stop The Merger Coalition to urge the Federal Trade Commission to oppose this deal. Visit NoGroceryMerger.com to learn more and take action today.
Send a Message to the FTC
The Federal Trade Commission has the power to block this merger. Take action now by sending a message to the FTC to let them know we stand united in opposition to the Kroger/Albertsons merger.
Taking Our Fight Against the Corporate Grocery Mega-Merger to the FTC!
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UFCW 3000 Leadership with allies ready to testify before the federal trade commission
UFCW 3000 and our fellow UFCW locals continue to work aggressively to stop the mega-merger between Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger (parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC).
Recently, union presidents from UFCW Locals 7, 324, 400, 770, and 3000 presented compelling evidence to the Federal Trade Commission on the negative impacts of this merger and our negative experiences with past grocery mergers. Representatives from 10 states’ Attorneys General offices attended, along with UFCW 3000 member and leader Naomi Oligario, a longtime Safeway worker from Port Orchard who shared her story of how the Safeway-Albertsons merger caused her and two other family members to lose their jobs.
We will not stop fighting against this corporate greed and overreach, and bring frontline grocery store workers’ voices front and center so our lawmakers, regulators, and employers hear directly from experts who work in these stores and serve our communities every day.
Take Action!
Read on to hear some of what Naomi and our president, Faye Guenther, shared.
“My name is Naomi Oligario. I started working at my local Safeway store, in Port Orchard, Washington in 1985. I raised my four kids with my income and benefits from this job. My kids were Safeway babies. As they have grown up, over the years, at one point or another, each have worked at a Safeway store. And my customers are like family too. It is a tight relationship that we all have. We share our triumphs and our tragedies.
In 2015, after nearly 30 years with the company, after coming in on extra shifts, doing extra work to make the store run, after working through holidays, I found out one day, without any advance notice or for-planning, that my store would be bought by Haggen, and that no one would be allowed to transfer to another store. […]
I lived through the debacle of my Safeway store closing, and the new Haggen opening, but quickly it became clear that this was not a good situation. The prices were too high. Many of my loyal customers, within three weeks or less, came to me with tears in their eyes and apologized to me. They said they’d tried but could not shop here anymore. Sales dropped through the floor. Our hours were cut, and quickly many staff were having to look for work elsewhere any where they could find employment… This impacted three income earners in my one family. But the fallout from that failed merger was huge. It was not just me and my family. Similar experiences were felt by workers at over a hundred closed stores. […]
It’s just greed. Plain and simple. A few months ago, back in November, I was in the Senate Subcommittee hearing room and saw the Kroger CEO say they would not close stores or lay off workers. Under oath he said that to a US Senator. But they’re not telling the truth. They will end up closing stores and laying off workers just like happened to me, my family and my co-workers seven years ago. And our customers will lose out again too. This merger is a bad idea and needs to be stopped.”
Naomi (L) and FAYE (R) traveled to speak directly with the ftc on the proposed merger.
“My name is Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000, representing 50,000 workers in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. I represented workers in Fred Meyer in 1999, prior to its purchase by Kroger. In 2008, I represented workers in Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggen. […]
Haggen was a 90-year-old, union, family-owned company, headquartered in Bellingham, WA. After the divestiture of 146 stores to Haggen (as a result of the Albertsons/Safeway merger), we watched this once-local company go bankrupt in a few short months. Workers were hurt in too many ways to enumerate here today. Instead of offering competition, all remaining Haggen stores now belong to Albertson.
The divested Haggen stores were in trouble fast. Something was wrong and workers started calling us immediately. At the store by my house, the banner was changed, but the only things that changed in the store were higher prices and wilted lettuce. Customers fled. Hours were cut, impacting everything from pension contributions to healthcare qualifications and leave banks.
After bankruptcy, we had to then negotiate with Albertsons, to try restore workers who re-applied to get their seniority back which impacted Sunday pay, healthcare and every other wage and benefit issue.”
Watch: Albertsons-Kroger Merger Update Webinar
/Attention all UFCW 3000 Grocery Store Members at QFC, Fred Meyer, Albertsons, Safeway and Haggen
Ever since the day in mid-October when Kroger and Albertsons announced they were proposing to merge, we have been taking action to protect grocery store workers and our customers. What are all the threats of the merger and what actions have we taken already to protect jobs and community? Please watch the webinar above on the proposed Albertsons/Kroger merger to learn more about the activities our local union, in coordination with a handful of other UFCW locals, has been doing since the announcement. While much is still not known about what specifically these companies propose, it is clear that the proposed mega-merger would impact workers’ jobs, our shoppers and our communities.
