Washington grocery workers hope for protections if Kroger-Albertsons merger goes through

Grocery workers concerned about the Kroger-Albertsons merger’s impact on their jobs, are hoping a bill in Olympia will offer some protection.

ESSB 6007 would require the new company to retain workers for six months. Those who are let go would be compensated. The bill passed the Senate 32-16 earlier this month. Now it’s in the House for consideration.

“These people have a right to be defended if this merger occurs and that’s what this bill is about,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Steve Conway (D-South Tacoma). Speaking before the House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards, Conway said this bill doesn’t go into play unless the merger goes through.

Kroger first announced plans to merge with Albertsons in October 2022 arguing that combining the companies would benefit consumers with lower prices and a seamless experience.

As federal regulators weigh in on the $25 billion agreement, state regulators are seeking to block the deal. In January Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit, saying the merger would hurt Washington consumers and workers, noting that half of all groceries in the state are owned by either Kroger or Albertsons.

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Now, Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser filed suit this week challenging the merger. The companies have vowed to vigorously defend the deal in court.

Many grocery workers still can’t shake off memories of the last merger in 2015 when Albertsons acquired Safeway.

Britt Leggett remembers thousands of colleagues who lost their jobs then and fears this merger will also end badly.

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“Such layoffs will be traumatic for communities still recovering from the pandemic,” Leggett said. “Grocery workers will find it a harsh payback for their loyalty.”

Smaller grocers worry about the bill’s long-term implications.

“I think there would be this same expectation that if our stores were to purchase a store post-merger that they would have to retain the workforce,” said Katie Beeson, director of government affairs with the Washington Food Industry Association, which represents independent grocers.

RELATED: Grocery workers facing 'so much uncertainty' protest proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger

The House committee is scheduled to vote on the bill later this week.