We want to thank all of you for your hard work and for those who signed up to take a stand to defend you union contract. We’ve had an overwhelmingly large picket captain sign-up rate since the last update so please check out our meeting notice for more info.
How Did We Get Here?
While your bargaining team, made up of your union and fellow Kroger co-workers, continued to meet with Kroger to discuss the better wages and benefits you deserve, Kroger decided to unilaterally implement their wage levels on October 4, 2020 and parts of their so-called “Last Best and Final” Offer on January 1, 2021. This meant that they forced certain terms of their offer into effect, without reaching an agreement with your bargaining team and without your vote.
Also, listen to fellow member and picket captain, Tonja on how she feels about the Company & what’s going on right now with our new union contract!
What Kroger’s So-Called “Last, Best & Final” Offer Means for Workers:
- Lower Wage Increase: Kroger froze wage levels making it harder for certain workers to advance to the next wage tier.
- Backdoor Pay Cuts for Health Care Participants: Kroger forced all Houston and Louisiana participants into a newly formed, company-controlled K Plan; which include an increase in prescription costs, deductibles and hour eligibility to all workers. This represents a back-door pay cut as workers must now pay more out of their pocket for healthcare.
- Limited Opportunity: Kroger proposing to drastically cut full-time positions in several stores, limiting the opportunity for workers to make top rate pay.
- Cut Overtime: Kroger has unilaterally changed daily overtime, denying overtime pay to workers who put in the longest hours to cover the store’s busiest shifts.
- Lower Earnings: By eliminating full time jobs, cutting overtime, reducing take home pay through increased healthcare costs, Kroger will significantly reduce workers’ earnings.
- Broad Workplace Cuts and Changes: In addition, Kroger eliminated hero pay during the pandemic; cut vacation weeks from 6 to 3 for part timers hired on or after 1/1/21; and implemented language which could have clerks working meat department jobs and reducing hours for those higher paying positions.
Holding Kroger Accountable:
Your union has filed charges with the federal government’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over Kroger’s forced moves and bad faith bargaining, those charges are still under investigation. So far, Kroger refuses to sign the Tentative Agreement until your Union withdraws the “dues shutoff case.”
What You – And All UFCW Members – Can Do:
Join the Street Action Committee to sign up to be a picket captain. To help protect what you have earned and deserve, we are asking UFCW members to do the following:
Download Our App
A members-only tool helping you stay connected with your Union all in the palm of your hand.
Contact Your Union Rep
If you have any questions please contact your union rep. If you do not know who your union rep is, use our rep-finder.
