The union representing Portland Fred Meyer workers could call for a strike as a tactic at the bargaining table.
Late last week, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 members voted to authorize a potential limited-duration strike at 28 Portland-area stores if needed. It comes as union leaders and representatives from Fred Meyer parent company Kroger are at the bargaining table. About 4,500 Fred Meyer workers in the metro area are represented by the union.
Union members voted late last week to authorize a limited-duration strike if needed as union leaders and representatives from Fred Meyer's parent company, Kroger, began bargaining talks. Roughly 4,500 workers at Portland area Fred Meyer stores, including the Hawthorne location in Southeast Portland in this Dec. 17, 2021 file photo.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
The local union also pulled its support of Kroger’s proposed merger with Albertsons, citing information that came up during the bargaining process. Up until then, it had been the only chapter among the UFCW international union to support combining the two major grocery chains.
“Kroger’s continued failure to not live up to their commitments in current contracts while being given every opportunity is disappointing,” Dan Clay, president of UFCW Local 555, said in a statement. “Their obnoxious decisions at the bargaining table have let down both their workers and their customers.”
The merger would impact Kroger and Albertsons stores across the country, and would likely mean closures and store sell-offs in Oregon and beyond. The deal still needs federal approval.
In February, the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $24 billion deal, calling it anticompetitive.
“A combined Kroger/Albertsons, however, would gain increased leverage over workers and their unions—to the detriment of workers, the FTC alleges,” the agency wrrote. “The combined Kroger and Albertsons would have more leverage to impose subpar terms on union grocery workers that slow improvements to wages, worsen benefits, and potentially degrade working conditions.”
Kroger leadership criticized the FTC action, saying it will overall harm workers and shoppers alike.
“Kroger has a proven track record of lowering prices so more customers benefit from fresh, affordable food,” the company said in a statement responding to the FTC, “and our proposed merger with Albertsons will mean even lower prices and more choices for America’s consumers.”