By Robert Brownlee
The Teamsters ratified a new five-year master agreement with Kroger on Nov. 21 which covers 1,500 workers with an 88% vote – which the Teamsters said is the first time the national negotiating committee included rank-and-file members who work in the industry.
“The strength of this agreement is a direct result of locals working together and putting members first,” Teamsters Warehouse Division Director Tom Erickson said. “Thanks to coordinated bargaining, as well as the input and participation of rank-and-file members, we were able to win the most lucrative deal in the history of the national contract at Kroger.”
Teamsters said the contract brings “significant improvements” to wages, benefits and working conditions when combined with five supplemental agreements which were also ratified. Erickson added that the contract is the most lucrative deal in the history of the union’s negotiations with the grocery giant, and said the reason was because of the unity of locals and members when sitting down at the table.
The locals party to this contract include Teamsters Local 135 in Detroit, Local 988 in Houston, Local 667 in Memphis, and Local 795 in Wichita, Kansas. Drivers, mechanics and warehouse workers in the Teamsters are a key link in moving groceries from Kroger distribution centers to supermarkets.
Aaron Washington, an order selector at Kroger and a Teamster Local 667, said winning the contract took months of hard bargaining but it has put more money in workers’ pockets. “It wasn’t an easy process, but we remained strong throughout negotiations and stuck together, and that’s why we have this win today,” Washington said.
This was a relatively small contract in terms of coverage when compared to another recent win for Teamsters at Costco Wholesale last month which covered 18,000 workers. That new contract boosted wages and pensions and found 72% approval among voting members. That contract also created a more flexible attendance policy.
The Teamsters are also looking closely at a likely merger between Kroger and Albertsons. More than 18,000 Teamsters are employed at both companies. “Historically, mergers of this magnitude have a negative impact on workers and the public,” Teamsters Pres. Sean O. Brien said on Oct. 19. “Less competition almost always means higher prices and fewer choices.”
The UFCW and Teamsters will shape the outcome of that merger and as regulators place it under a microscope for potential anti-trust concerns. The merger will likely occur no sooner than 2024. “We will be monitoring developments as the regulatory process plays out. There are a lot of unanswered questions that need to be addressed,” O’Brien added. “Our concerns are shared among workers, customers, elected officials, shareholders, consumer advocates and the general public.”
But the message from the Teamsters at Locals 135, 988, 667 and 795 is that the best outcome depends on workers getting involved. “Our members at Kroger refused to back down,” Teamsters Local 667 Pres. James Jones said about their recent contract. “They reminded the grocery giant of who makes this company run. They fought hard for this contract.”