Posts Categorized: Grocery

On August 21, the UFCW responded to the announcement of a merger between southeastern retail grocers Aldi, Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket.

“We are firmly against the Aldi Winn-Dixie proposed merger, and any merger that further consolidates the grocery industry at the expense of essential workers, our communities, and customers,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “With food inflation at record levels, consumers need more choices, not fewer, and more food access, not less. Given the role of essential grocery workers in our communities, it is inexplicable that one would propose mergers that will lead to a loss of these critical jobs. As we have seen for decades, grocery store mergers are a clear threat to both workers and consumers.”

“The fact that companies like Aldi and Winn-Dixie seek to hide is that when large grocery chains merge, it not only threatens competition but leads to lower wages, higher food prices, and more food deserts for rural and underserved communities,” Perrone added. “We urge the Federal Trade Commission to review this merger critically – especially given the proposed Kroger Albertsons mega-merger – to determine what the negative impacts will be for workers, consumers, and communities.”

The UFCW praised the recent passage of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement’s (LCLAA) resolution regarding the Kroger Albertsons mega-merger. The resolution calls on Kroger and Albertsons to protect union jobs and food access in communities of color, and was passed during LCLAA’s 24th National Membership Convention, which was held on August 2 to 6 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, under the resonating theme “Together Towards Tomorrow: Trabajadores para un Futuro Justo.” 

The UFCW’s Civil Rights and Community Action Department worked with LCLAA’s Deputy Executive Director and policy staff to introduce this resolution, and UFCW Local 888 Secretary-Treasurer and newly elected LCLAA Executive Board Member Rosalba Perez spoke in support of the resolution from the convention floor. The convention was attended by a UFCW delegation made up of International and local union staff.

“The UFCW applauds the LCLAA for taking a bold stand against the Kroger Albertsons mega-merger that threatens our essential workers and local communities,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “If allowed to go through, a merger of this size could lead to lower wages for grocery store workers, higher food prices for hard-working families, less competition, and less access to food for underserved, minority, and rural communities across the country. Right now, the Federal Trade Commission has the ability to take action to attempt to block this merger because of its direct threat to competition and we firmly believe it should take the necessary steps to stop it from coming to fruition.” 

“Throughout the pandemic, our nation witnessed a remarkable acknowledgment of the vital role played by our workforce,” said LCLLA National President Yanira Merino. “They were hailed as heroes, deemed indispensable and essential. Yet, because of current working conditions, these very workers still struggle to meet the escalating cost of living in our country. The merger of Kroger and Albertsons will only worsen the food insecurity our community already faces and make it more difficult for Latino workers to exercise their bargaining rights. As a movement, we must come together and ask our Administration to prioritize the welfare of our workers, who have been the backbone of our economy. We call upon them to ensure that all workers are granted access to essential benefits, bargaining rights, and stable, long-term employment opportunities.”

You can read the LCLAA resolution in its entirety here.