On April 15, approximately 15,000 members of UFCW Local 455 who work at Kroger grocery stores in the Houston area ratified a new contract that improves wages and benefits. This new contract will unfreeze wages with increases, secure better health care options, and improve working conditions. Since April 2020, UFCW essential workers have been calling for a fair and reasonable contract that rewards the hard work and sacrifices of Houston Kroger workers, and ensures they are able to continue to provide a vital service for millions of Houstonians.
“I am just grateful that my union made this contract possible,” said Linda Rogers, a union steward at Kroger store 161. “Due to our new union agreement, I’m happy that our membership is able again to have a voice in their health care after nearly two years. I’m excited about the new health care plan, the unfrozen wages with increases, and the protection of full-time jobs that we got secured in this agreement. It has been a very stressful two years fighting for this contract and I am glad that we got a deal ratified by our membership.”
“The essential grocery workers who keep Kroger stores running across the Houston area finally have a contract that works for them,” said UFCW Local 455 President Brandon Hopkins. “After months of hard negotiations, we have secured a deal that unfreezes wages with increases and gives our members control over their health care again. Most importantly, this contract will protect full-time jobs, which means both better service for customers and a safer workplace for our members.”
“It was the resoluteness and strength of our hard-working UFCW members and the widespread support of Kroger customers across the Houston area that made this contract possible,” Hopkins added. “I could not be prouder of our members, who have stood together in solidarity and fought for every inch throughout a very difficult negotiation process. At the end of the day, we believe our essential workers should be able to work towards a better life for their families. This contract helps ensure that is possible.”