America’s largest grocery chain is in hot water yet again as workers gear up for a huge strike.
Two separate unions have rejected proposed labor agreements and voted to authorize a strike as negotiations continue.
This follows years of alleged anti-union activity by Kroger, including reportedly closing four unionized locations and replacing them with non-union stores.
There are obviously massive potential implications for grocery shoppers here, so let’s dive right in to the details.
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The two unions at the center of this are:
– Teamsters Local 528, which has organized drivers at Kroger’s Forest Park Fulfillment center in Georgia
– United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700, which represents about 7,000 total grocery workers in central Indiana (especially Indianapolis area)
These may sound like isolated incidents, but they’re indicative of something bigger. And here’s why:
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Even leaving aside other union organizing activity at Krogers around the country – of which there is a great deal, we’ll talk about that in a minute – the impacts of just these two potential strikes could be massive.
After all – grocery stores depend on timely delivery of product to keep shelves stocked.
And that goes double for produce! If chips are delayed for a bit it’s not the end of the world – but fresh lettuce? That’s a different story.
And if the truck drivers at Forest Park fulfillment center ultimately walk out, that’s going to create a big snarl in Kroger’s supply chain.
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These potential strikes come at a pivotal moment for Kroger as it faces a number of huge macroeconomic issues. To name a few:
– Big incoming food disruptions due to changes at the FDA;
– Rising food prices thanks to inflation;
– Still more rising food prices and supply chain disruptions thanks to tariffs;
– Increased competition from new entrants like Amazon Fresh, as well as low-priced big box and warehouse competitors like Wal-Mart, Costco, and Target;
And of course, workers want more money and better benefits, too. (Not, in my personal opinion, unreasonably!)
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Leaving aside the specifics of these strikes, Kroger and the unions representing thousands of its workers have been at loggerheads for years.
There have been quite a few accusations lobbed at Kroger, including that it:
– Shut down four unionized stores and replaced them with non-union stores;
– Has engaged in anti-union activity in a number of locations over the years;
– Has slow-walked labor negotiations;
And more.
Of course…
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Proving all of that is a little tough.
But we DO know that Kroger was forced to pay nearly $250,000 to UFCW Local 400 by a judge after an extensive campaign centered around Kroger Store #540.
And of course, Kroger has closed a number of stores over the years, although as you can imagine every store is kind of a unique story.
(Same whenever a factory closes.)
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That’s the big question, isn’t it.
The two unions involved here have certainly ratcheted up the stakes, but I think the big question will be whether they follow through and actually walk off.
If so, there could be substantial impacts…some of which would be felt almost immediately.
Especially for consumers in Indiana!
But there’s actually even more going on here…
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Kroger and Albertsons are in the middle of labor negotiations with over a 150,000 workers around the country – and several other locals are preparing to join the strike in solidarity.
– After striking in Colorado back in February, UFCW Local 7 is voting to authorize another strike to support the ongoing negotiations.
– Four separate UFCW locals in Southern California (135, 324, 770, and 1167) have also authorized strikes.
– Same with Local 3000 in Washington State.
All told, these locals represent over 60,000 members. So there’s reason to think this could get big, and national, pretty quickly.
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Generally when unions begin a strike, they ask people not to shop at the affected stores as a gesture of solidarity with the workers.
(After all, the workers are foregoing pay – the least we can do is shop somewhere else for a week or two.)
And there ARE other options…
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Some alternatives, which of course will depend on your specific locality:
– Giant
– Albertsons
– Safeway
(I will note, in Colorado, Albertsons and Safeway are facing their own imminent strike.)
And more broadly…
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Union activity at both Costco and Trader Joe’s has been pretty muted, I think mostly because they’re generally pretty good places to work.
So these all seem to me to be reasonable alternatives if you’re looking for somewhere to shop that isn’t Kroger right now.
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So there you have it – Kroger could be about to face a substantial strike.
The unions have authorized it. It’s just a matter now of whether they push the big red button and walk off.
If they do, shoppers can expect big disruptions.
Here’s hoping Kroger is able to put together a good contract for workers!
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• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
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