Today, Kroger and Albertsons released a list of 579 possible stores across the country to be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers in the event the mega-merger of the two companies is approved. The company has finally released the tentative list of potential stores after announcing the divestment nearly a year ago.
As of now, no Kroger or Safeway stores represented by UFCW Local 400 will be impacted by the possible store sales. According to today’s announcement, in UFCW Local 400 states, no Safeway stores are on the list and only eight non-union Harris Teeter stores will possibly be sold to C&S if the merger is completed. There are no further details on store divestments available at this time. The complete list of possible stores can be viewed here.
To be clear, this merger is not a done deal. We remain opposed to this disaster deal for the negative impact it will have on our members, customers and communities. The proposed merger is being challenged in federal court by the Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of eight states, including Maryland and the District of Columbia. It is also being challenged in state court by the attorneys general of Colorado and Washington. Those hearings are set to begin soon and it will be up to the judges to decide if this merger can go through.
We will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available. We will use every available resource to enforce our contracts with Safeway and Kroger and protect our members. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
UFCW Locals Issue Statement in Response to Kroger and Albertsons Release of Store Divestiture List
LANDOVER, Md. (July 9, 2024) – Today, a coalition of United Food & Commercial Workers local unions made the following statement after Kroger and Albertsons released a specific list of possible stores the companies are planning to divest to C&S Wholesale Grocers in the event the mega-merger of the two companies is approved:
“Today’s announcement changes nothing. The merger is not a done deal, far from it. We remain focused on stopping the proposed mega-merger for the same reasons we have stated since it was first announced over 20 months ago — because we know it would harm workers, it would harm shoppers, it would harm suppliers and communities, and it is illegal. The merger proposal was rejected in January and February by the Attorneys General from the states of Colorado and Washington and the Federal Trade Commission. We applaud their actions. They have been in possession of this proposed divestiture list, made public today by the companies, for months and that did not change their opposition to the proposed merger. These legal challenges to the proposed merger are moving forward with hearings beginning at the end of July and scheduled to go through September.”
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