Kroger Workers Demonstrating All Week to Save Health Care

Company offer puts health care benefits at risk for thousands of store associates

CHARLESTON, WV (October 27, 2020) – Union workers at Kroger stores are continuing demonstrations throughout the week to protest cuts to their health care benefits proposed by the company in recent contract negotiations.

Kroger has proposed imposing a limit on the amount of money the company is required to pay to fund your health care benefits, potentially putting coverage at risk if costs exceed the cap.

“Kroger’s proposal could force the fund to cut benefits, increase costs to workers, or limit the number of employees eligible for health care,” said Mark Federici, President of UFCW Local 400. “Many employees could see their health care benefits simply disappear.”

“These heroes have been on the frontlines of this crisis since the beginning,” he said. “They deserve to rewarded, not have their health care benefits slashed in the middle of a pandemic.”

Daily protests are scheduled beginning Wednesday through Saturday at stores throughout the region. A full schedule of demonstrations is below.

Background:

• The union contract between Kroger and UFCW Local 400 covers approximately 4,500 Kroger store associates at 39 stores in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. Negotiations over a new contract have been underway since August. The previous agreement expired on August 29 and is currently under extension. Either party may end the extension upon 72 hours’ notice.
• UFCW Local 400 is tracking at least 68 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among workers under the West Virginia union contract as of October 26, 2020. In the last week alone, there has been a 36% increase in COVID cases among Kroger associates under the West Virginia contract. Among grocery and retail workers represented by UFCW nationwide, there have already been at least 110 worker deaths and nearly 16,000 workers infected or exposed.

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The United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400, helmed by President Mark Federici, represents 35,000 members working in the retail food, health care, retail department store, food processing, service and other industries in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.