Kroger Employees Rally to Explain Why They're Upset
Kroger Employees Rally in Indianapolis to Explain Why They’re Upset with the Company
INDIANAPOLIS–Kroger workers gathered outside of an Indianapolis Kroger location on Sunday to demand a better contract from the company.
The union representing 8,000 workers has been negotiating with Kroger for several months. Kroger employees like 27-year-old Andrea Reynolds claim they are not being paid a living wage and have food pantries in their breakrooms.
“For far too long, we have given up too much and the workers are tired,” said Reynolds.
Kroger’s most recent offer of a 90 cent increase over three years for starting pay is an offer that Kroger employees find insulting. A $200 Kroger gift card has also been offered as part of that deal.
“That’s what they offered us. Not backpay, but a $200 Kroger gift card? You know what’s more insulting? Kroger gets that money back. I can’t spend it anywhere else,” said Kroger employee David Frederick when he addressed the crowd.
Sarah Ford is another Kroger employee who echoed Frederick’s comments.
“Kroger can afford to pay us more. They can afford to give us more hours. They can afford to fix our understaffing crisis, but they are refusing to because they want to protect their bottom line,” said Ford.
The union and Kroger will meet again to talk about a deal on Wednesday.
Kroger has issued the following statement about the tentative agreement:
We respect the right of our associates to express their concerns through this rally, and we remain committed to finding a path forward. We are disappointed the contract failed to be ratified, especially given that it was fully endorsed by the associate-led bargaining committee and the UFCW Local 700. The Company and Union bargaining committees are scheduled to meet on Wednesday, August 6.
The tentative agreement would increase top-rate clerks’ wages by 15.6% over three years, with an immediate 5.7% raise, more than double the current inflation rate. Since 2021, Indianapolis associates have already seen a 20% wage increase. It also includes industry leading, affordable healthcare benefits plus a fully funded pension for retirement.
We believe this agreement represents a strong commitment to our associates’ financial well-being while keeping groceries affordable for the communities we serve.
Kroger has 103 grocery stores across 54 cities in Indiana.
