UFCW 367 town hall Oct. 26 on Kroger-Albertsons merger

TACOMA — Grocery store workers who are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union are facing a possible mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons. In Washington state, Kroger operates as Fred Meyer and QFC, and Albertsons also operates as Safeway.

UFCW Local 367 has been expressing strong opposition to the proposed merger. If approved by federal officials, it will result in higher food prices, food deserts, and the potential loss of thousands of jobs. A new company called C&S Wholesale Grocers is reportedly interested in purchasing some of the divested Albertsons and Kroger stores that would be sold to get the merger approved.

TAKE A STAND — All are invited to a virtual town hall meeting hosted by UFCW Local 367 from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26. (RSVP here.) The union’s leadership will present updates and news on the merger and next steps for rank-and-file UFCW 367 and community members who are opposed to this mega-merger.

“If this merger goes through, hundreds of stores will be closed or sold off to private equity firms,” said UFCW 367 President Michael Hines. “Many of these targeted stores will be in neighborhoods lacking critical resources, resulting in food deserts. Washington families work hard to put food on their tables and deserve peace of mind instead of ever-increasing grocery prices. During record-high inflation and growing economic strain, the last thing our communities need is a corporate behemoth with unprecedented control over food prices and the working conditions of essential workers.”