See Where Things Stand As of Now
We met with Kroger representatives on Tuesday, July 30 and received proposals from the company regarding Health & Welfare benefits, pay scales, and more.
Kroger remains far apart from us on nearly every single issue. Review our comparison chart below to see where things stand in negotiations right now.
The company is also continuing to refuse to recognize the union at nine stores where a majority of associates have signed up to join UFCW Local 400. Even though Kroger is refusing to respect their choice, we remain adamant that they have made it clear that they want to be a part of our Union and we won’t leave anyone behind. We are all in this together.
We have more in-person meetings scheduled with Kroger for the rest of the week before our contract expires on August 3 and we will keep you updated every step of the way. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact us or talk to your union representative or shop steward if you have any questions or concerns. Call our headquarters at 301-459-3400 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) to be put in touch with your union representative.
| Issue | Union Proposal | Kroger Proposal |
| Coverage | Bring all stores under contract where a majority of associates have signed up to join UFCW Local 400 | Continue to refuse to recognize the employees at the nine stores who have chosen to join our Union |
| Starting Pay | Raise starting rate to $15.00/hr and increase it by $2.00/hr per year | Raise starting rate to $15 and increase it by $.40 per year |
| Annual Raises | Increase to Level 2 and Level 3 Rates by $2.50/hr per year | Increase Level 2 and 3 rates by $.90-$1.50 the first year and $.45-$.55 in following years |
| Red Circled Employees | Red Circle employees shall receive either the contract rate or the across-the-board rate, whichever is greater | No wage increases for red circled employees, lump sums only. |
| Schedules | Change 38 hours average per week to 36 hours average per week on wage scales; and the Company shall inform employees ahead of time that they may be in danger of not meeting the minimum hours to maintain their rate of pay, thus moving from Level 3 to Level 2 | Keep 38-hour average to stay at Level 3. |
| Premiums | Increase Backup and Lead Premiums | No increases in back up or lead premiums |
| Vacation | More vacation time | No proposal to increase vacation time |
| Personal Holidays | More personal holidays | No proposal to increase personal holidays |
| Paid Sick Days | Paid sick days | No proposal to give paid sick days. |
| Health Care |
No changes in out-of-pocket health care costs Guarantee Kroger provides adequate funding to maintain Health benefits. |
Increases in premiums, deductibles, medical out-of-pocket maxes, and some copays. Higher costs for some prescription drugs. No guarantee of adequate funding to maintain benefits for the life of the contract – meaning benefits and costs could change. |
| Vision & Dental Benefits | Better Vision and dental benefits | Improvements to in-network vision and dental benefits only. |