2025 Grocery Contract: Better Wages. Better Staffing. Better Stores.

Originally published in Essential Voice Issue #2, Winter 2025. Read the full issue here. Click here to order a bundle of print copies!

Time’s up on grocery greed!

The countdown is on until grocery contracts across the country, primarily along the West Coast, expire. Kroger and Albertsons contracts for UFCW Locals 7, 3000, 770, 324, 1442, 1428, 8, and 1996 are all set to expire between February 15th, 2025 and March 22nd, 2025, among others.

That’s almost 100,000 grocery workers nationwide bargaining their contracts with the Big Grocers at once.

It may appear like the bosses may have a lot of control at the top, but we have one thing they don’t: power in numbers. There are only a few of them — but we are thousands of members strong. It’s one of our biggest strengths. But only if we use it.

The Big Grocers have tried to consolidate their power at the top through decades of mergers and acquisitions. This past year, they tried their biggest one yet, with the $25 billion merger attempt between Kroger and Albertsons.

Luckily, after major organizing efforts from workers and community members, the merger has been blocked. But it’s a reminder that the bosses are constantly collaborating. Workers should, too.

We’re stronger when we stand together. That’s why EW4D supports coordinated and joint bargaining. One day, we hope to see all 700,000 UFCW members at Kroger and Albertsons united at one national bargaining table.

Some locals are already working together and attending the bargaining sessions that have started in UFCW Local 7.

If you want to see more local unions working together to leverage our strength in numbers at the bargaining table, get in touch with EW4D to take action.