Stand with grocery heroes against Kroger’s planned pay cut

Kroger wants to eliminate ‘Hero Pay’ at Fred Meyer and QFC. Western UFCW locals and IBT 38 unite for worker safety and against this pay cut.

The following is from UFCW 7, 21, 324, 367, 555, 770, 1439 and IBT 38:

(May 8, 2020) — Kroger-owned grocery stores across the West notified essential grocery workers that starting May 17, the company will eliminate the $2 an hour bonus called “Hero Pay.” Grocery store employees, deemed essential workers by the government, are a constant on the front lines in all natural disasters or national crises — risking their lives to ensure America is fed no matter what.

In response to Kroger’s announcement, UFCW Local Unions and Teamsters Local 38 are calling on the public to support these #EssentialHeroes in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming by asking Kroger to maintain Hero Pay, improve store safety practices and provide testing to all employees as COVID-19 continues to plague local communities and the UFCW membership. Fred Meyer and QFC are the two Kroger store banners in the Puget Sound area.

TAKE A STAND — Please click here to send a message to Kroger that you stand with Fred Meyer and QFC workers for safe stores and against pay cuts!

“We have been working hard from day one of this crisis, putting our own health at risk to serve our community, and now Kroger’s response is to say that they are going to take away our pay. Meanwhile, in many stores they are still dropping the ball on limiting the number of people in the store at one time to allow proper social distancing,” said Chuck Svac, a member of UFCW 21 from the Fred Meyer store in Port Orchard.

Together, these local unions represent more than 100,000 essential grocery workers in these five western states and approximately 55,000 of these are at Kroger stores. Unions have seen an uptick in cases of infection of COVID-19 amongst their respective grocery worker members.

“We will continue to recognize and support the frontline workers through this COVID-19 crisis and beyond and demand that their employer do the same by continuing to pay the $2 per hour Hero Pay and provide a safe working environment for these workers,” said Steve Chandler, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 38. “These workers have proven themselves as dedicated employees of Kroger which is reflected in them tirelessly serving the customers on a daily basis.”

The decision by Kroger to rip away this well-deserved pay increase comes at the same time these essential grocery workers — American heroes — are mourning the loss of their Union brothers and sisters to COVID-19 and more workers are falling ill.

Seven UFCW Local Unions across the Western U.S. and Teamsters 38 in Snohomish County, representing more than 55,000 members who work at Kroger stores, have united to bring attention to Kroger’s unjustified decision to take away Hero Pay as states reopen. We encourage customers to support grocery workers as these #EssentialHeroes and continue to support them during local stay-at-home orders and the global pandemic. Local Unions are also continuing to call on Kroger to more effectively limit the number of shoppers in a store at one time in order to allow for safe 6-foot distancing, and also have all workers and shoppers wear masks.

Please support your community grocery workers — our #EssentialHeroes — by  telling Kroger how you feel about their takeaway of the Hero Pay. Click here to send a message to Kroger that you stand with Fred Meyer and QFC workers for safe stores and against pay cuts!

For more information, visit UFCW21.org and Teamsters38.org.