PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Amid bargaining sessions, a local union representing grocery workers says it is walking back its previous endorsement of the merger between Kroger and Albertsons.
The retracted endorsement — which was first reported by The Oregonian — comes as UFCW 555 met with representatives for Kroger, Fred Meyer, and QFC on Wednesday and Thursday for bargaining sessions.
“While our Local was the only Local to publicly support the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, our Local has changed that position as a result of new information as part of the bargaining process discussions over the past two days,” UFCW Local 555 announced Thursday.
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In a statement to KOIN 6 News, UFCW Local 555 Communications Coordinator Miles Eshaia said, “On August 15, Kroger issued a press release, saying that ‘Fred Meyer Delivers on Their Promise to Accelerate Associate Wages.’”
“For Fred Meyer to say they have delivered on ‘Their Promise to Accelerate Associate Wages’ is misleading at best. They have not agreed to any increases other than those negotiated by UFCW 555 as a result of the 1-day strike in 2021. They have a proven track record of not living up to their obligations, and are falling short at the bargaining table. In fact, we were forced to file a federal lawsuit asking the courts to force Fred Meyer to live up to their commitments in the current contracts with UFCW 555. As a result, we are no longer in support of the Kroger-Albertsons merger for Oregon, Idaho and Washington,” Eshaia continued.