WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.2 million essential workers in grocery, meatpacking, food processing, and other essential industries across North America, released the following statement in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) decision to join Attorney generals of Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Wyoming in suing to block the Kroger and Albertsons merger. The decision follows Colorado and Washington suing to block the merger due to their own concerns about its impact on consumers.
UFCW International President Marc Perrone released the following statement:
“The FTC’s decision reflects clear concerns over the impact such a megamerger could have on workers, food prices, and millions of customers. As our delegates made clear last year at our International Convention, the UFCW stands – and will continue to stand – in opposition to any merger that would negatively impact our hundreds of thousands of hard-working members who work at Kroger and Albertsons.
“As this legal process now moves ahead, our focus will remain the same. The UFCW will continue to advocate for a stable and long-term solution that is in the best interest of our members and the customers and communities they serve. That means that any company who is looking to purchase stores must first and foremost honor our collective bargaining agreements and be committed to protecting these essential jobs now and in the years ahead.
“Regardless of the next legal steps, we must never forget that Kroger and Albertsons are successful because of these incredibly dedicated workers, and no proposed merger should be allowed to endanger their jobs or their livelihoods.”
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The UFCW International is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.2 million workers and their families in grocery, meatpacking, food processing, healthcare, cannabis, retail, and other essential industries. UFCW members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org.