The Houston based union whose members includes employees at Kroger stores in College Station and Bryan announce a tentative contract agreement. That follows two weeks of voting by members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local 455 on whether to authorize a strike following the expiration of the contract that ended last Saturday (February 24). UFCW local 455’s website says the proposed three year contract “returns many items that were taken from the membership, during the last contract fight” along with “wage increases for all employees” and “reducing how much you pay out of your check each week for your health insurance by 40%.” Members were also told that “Your pension is secure and your Bargaining Committee was successful in negotiating a ratification bonus, if the TA is accepted by the membership. As part of the new contract offer, your Committee was also able to get a reduction for the minimum hours requirements, needed to qualify for health insurance coverage”. Union employees at the Kroger store in College Station will vote on March 8 and union employees at the Kroger store in Bryan will vote on March 11. WTAW News has invited Kroger to issue a statement regarding contract negotiations.
Kroger’s corporate website issued a statement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) decided to block a proposed merger with Albertsons Companies. Kroger’s statement says “The merging parties look forward to litigating this action in court so we can deliver the benefits of this merger to communities across America – lower prices, more choices, and more good-paying union jobs for decades to come.”