Teamsters in the grocery industry have reason to celebrate today as Albertsons officially called off its planned merger with Kroger in the wake of two court rulings this week.

On Tuesday, a federal District Court judge in Oregon issued an injunction, putting a temporary hold on the $24.6 billion merger. Just a few hours later, a Washington State Court judge blocked the deal entirely, ruling that it violates state consumer protection laws. The rulings were enough for Albertsons to walk away from the deal and sue Kroger for not doing enough to promote it.

“This is great news for our members in the grocery industry,” said Paul Dascher, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “This mega merger was nothing more than a corporate power grab designed to maximize profits at the expense of workers. The end of the merger will help protect good union jobs and preserve standards that we've fought decades to achieve.”

This week's developments should bring to an end the companies’ plan to sell off hundreds of stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers—one of the most anti-union companies in the business. As argued by the Federal Trade Commission, the deal would have also stifled competition and harmed consumers who have already been hit hard by rising grocery prices.

"The end of the merger should save jobs and keep competition between grocery chains," said Mike Holden, a shop steward and longtime member at Safeway. "Everyone is happy that we are not going to C&S Grocers. We're not sure they could even compete with the bigger stores. It helps the workers and the consumer."

Since the merger was announced in October 2022, the Teamsters have fought it every step of the way. Our Local Union’s political department has been in contact with Governor-elect Bob Ferguson who, as Washington State Attorney General, successfully sued the companies to stop the deal. Shortly after the Oregon court’s ruling, our International Union issued a statement applauding the court injunction.

With Kroger negotiations coming up next year, our Union's goal will be to ensure that all workers in the grocery industry maintain good wages and benefits and that no company gains an unfair advantage by undercutting its competition. To achieve that goal, our solidarity will be key.