Dear UFCW Shreveport and Lake Charles Kroger members,
We want to clear up some confusion with Kroger posting “Last, Best, and Final” (LBF) offers in the stores last week. Last Friday, Kroger gave a “Last, Best, and Final” offer on the record for Lake Charles meat clerks only, while giving “Last, Best, and Final” offers off the record for Lake Charles and Shreveport clerks, meaning your bargaining team did not have a chance to review the offers that were officially off the record. Before your bargaining committees could review those clerk offers, Kroger then posted everything in the stores.
Some of the major takeaways in Kroger’s “Last, Best, and Final” offers include:
- For Lake Charles clerk and meat contracts, Kroger is proposing to eliminate your current wage progression scale and replace it with a 3-tier wage system that ties your ability to move up tiers and receive wage increases to hours worked. Kroger’s offer also stops guaranteed wage increases every 6 months after August of 2022, with some workers potentially seeing a pay decrease in 2023 or 2024 if they don’t meet Kroger’s hours requirements.
- For Lake Charles clerk and meat and Shreveport contracts, Kroger is proposing to eliminate your current South-Central health insurance plan and replace it with a company-controlled plan, that according to Houston participants has increased their costs for things like doctor’s visits and prescriptions.
- For Lake Charles clerk and meat contracts, Kroger is also proposing meat crossover language that allows for management to assign work to be done by employees outside of their departments, which may erode hours in the bargaining units.
Your bargaining team is currently reviewing the rest of the language in these offers and will let you know next steps as soon as possible.
You have earned and deserve a contract that reflects your true value. And as your union, reflecting your value with a contract that guarantees good wages and benefits, will always be our main priority. Please stay tuned for more updates, and if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for text alerts by texting “KrogerHOU” to 83071.
Thank you for all that you do.
Sincerely,
Brandon Hopkins
UFCW Local 455 President
