The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951 announced today that negotiations have begun with Kroger for a new contract, affecting over 1,000 Michigan grocery workers across the state.
Contract bargaining for a new deal began in late April at UFCW 951 headquarters in Kentwood, Mich., as the current contract expires on June 15. The bargaining committee is made up of Kroger workers from the 10 stores UFCW 951 represents in mid-Michigan.
“As we begin negotiations, we have made it very clear to Kroger we want a strong contract for our members,” said Courtney Phillips, UFCW 951 secretary/treasurer and chief negotiator for the talks. “Kroger made record profits during the pandemic, and the company continues to bring in billions of dollars in earnings every year. Those big profits are the direct result of the hard work being done every day by its frontline workers in the stores and they deserve better wages.”
According to the union, the most important issue for Kroger workers in the new contract is wage increases.
Earlier this year, contract talks between Kroger and two other UFCW locals in the U.S. were contentious, the union says, with each nearly resulting in strikes before a deal was finally reached.
UFCW 951 is a progressive labor union representing over 29,000 workers across Michigan in a variety of industries including grocery, retail, food processing, pharmacy, and cannabis, who are employed at a variety of companies including Meijer, Kroger, Rite Aid, JBS, JLL, Knouse Foods, Polly’s, Harding’s, and Grandville Roasting & Packaging Plant. The UFCW is the largest private sector union in the United States representing over 1.3 million UFCW members nationwide, and UFCW 951 is the largest private sector union in Michigan.