How We Beat Back Non-Union Subcontracting at Kroger
After more than 6 months, members of UFCW Local 700 in Indiana have reached a victory in the fight against Kroger’s use of non-union subcontractors. Members organized to enforce the contract, file grievances, and educate their coworkers. Then, in August, Kroger announced it would be ending the Retail Odyssey DSD program entirely. This means more hours for union members, thanks to workers standing united!
Read the interview with Andrea Reynolds and Kristen Jackson, two shop stewards in Kokomo and Zionsville, about how they did it.
Members rally for a fair contract in August 2025 with local reform group “O.U.R. Local 700”.
What is Retail Odyssey and why is it a problem?
Andrea: Retail Odyssey (RO) is a non-union third-party contractor that solely services Kroger stores. Normally RO does store resets, display compliance audits, and third party Out stock audits. A few months ago, the Kroger Central Division here in Indiana developed a new program utilizing RO employees to stock direct store delivery (DSD) vendor items on weekends.
Why is this a problem? Kroger has employees who need hours. This isn't “extra help”. Kroger wants to phase in non-union third-parties into the stores to cut hours of its union employees. If we don't speak up, it will only get worse. We have seen this happen already with cut fruit vendors, outdoor floral products, floor cleaning, and gift cards, just to name a few.
Kristen: Although in the pharmacy, I am not as impacted, my union brothers and sisters are. I am part of the union to help protect all of the members. As a steward, I try my best to let others know what is wrong with RO taking our work.
How did you and your coworkers start taking on Retail Odyssey?
Andrea: We immediately started gathering as much accurate information as we could and passing it along to our co-workers. We shared information in our Facebook group and we shared flyers with our coworkers. We wanted them to know why this was a problem and what they could do about it. The company wants us to think that third parties are there to make our jobs easier. But time and time again, we see our hours cut and wonder why.
We also passed along the feedback of our vendors. Their products were being damaged, mixed with other vendors, and stocked incorrectly.
Kristen: I walked around and talked to my coworkers about what the RO workers were allowed to stock. I told them if they saw them, to please take pictures, talk to the RO workers, and be nice.
How did you collect information to file grievances? How did you make sure grievances got filed and processed?
Andrea: Retail Odyssey was scheduled to work Friday through Sunday, noon to 6 PM. I had a lot of conversations with members I knew were normally there during those hours. I instructed them to take photos, make note of the day, time, duration of stocking, what non-vendor products were stocked, and anyone who witnessed it. We had them send this info to our stewards or trusted employees who could contact our union rep. Every week after the grievance was filed, we messaged our reps asking for status of the grievance. We didn't want it to fall through the cracks.
Members shared flyers to educate their coworkers on RO.
By having a standardized report form, members could make sure grievances were airtight.
Kristen: I just went up to the RO workers, introduced myself as a steward, and let them know I would be taking pictures of them and why. I explained, “I'm not against you having a job. I'm here to document Kroger violating our CBA.” The RO workers were understanding, and would tell me that the manager told them to stock our product and let me file the grievances. The RO worker at my store location would tell me exactly what he stocked, so I could file the grievances effectively. We filed 3 grievances at my location.
What advice would you give anyone dealing with non-union subcontracting?
Andrea: Document, document, document! You need to prove there was a contract violation. Talk with your coworkers about how to document. Contact your rep. Don't hesitate to ask for help from a steward or a trusted member. You have power in your numbers. The more members speaking up, the better! We filed so many grievances in 6 months that the third-party DSD program has officially ended. When we fight, we win.