UFCW Local 7 Statement on court injunction halting proposed mega-merger

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2024

CONTACT: Elizabeth Battiste

Public Affairs Director, UFCW Local 7

ebattiste@ufcw7.com | 720-364-1925

Denver, CO – United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 President Kim Cordova today issued the following statement in response to the City and County of Denver District Court’s Preliminary Injunction to halt the proposed mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons.

We’re pleased with the court’s decision to temporarily halt the proposed mega-merger, which would have devastating impacts in communities here in Colorado and across the country. Our members and customers alike are concerned about potential job losses, food and pharmacy deserts, increased food prices, cost to food suppliers, and a lack of competition if the merger goes through. It’s not a done deal, and we will continue to do all we can to stop the merger.

The Court today granted a Preliminary Injunction that will expire 5 business days after the Court rules on Colorado’s application for a permanent injunction. The Preliminary Injunction precludes the nationwide merger from being closed, as well as the associated sale of more than 500 stores nationwide to C&S Wholesale Grocers, including 91 Safeway and Albertsons stores in Colorado. The Court will consider the potential Permanent Injunction at what is anticipated to be a 14-day trial now set to begin September 30, 2024. 

Legal proceedings are also scheduled in Washington State and a federal case brought by the Federal Trade Commission to be heard in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. The FTC is also challenging the merger in an internal administrative action. 

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UFCW Local 7 represents 23,000 members in the grocery, meat packing, food processing, healthcare, manufacturing, and cannabis industries across Colorado and Wyoming. The Union is part of the Stop the Merger Coalition, including over 100 national, state, and local organizations representing diverse interests who share a common goal: to stop the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger because of its negative impact on our nation’s communities. More information on the effort to stop the merger can be found at www.NoGroceryMerger.com.