BECKLEY, W.Va. — The Kroger store at Beckley Crossing Shopping Center was exceptionally busy Monday evening.
About 50 store employees from southern West Virginia gathered in front of the store along the bustling Eisenhower Drive. The supermarket’s current agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 expires Saturday, October 7 at midnight.
If an agreement between the union and Kroger is not made, roughly 4,200 union employees across West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio could lose their benefits. Workers also advocated for higher wages from the Ohio-based company.
Beckley Kroger employee Courtney Meadows told MetroNews affiliate WJLS she does not understand the delay on an agreement.
“We work hard for a company. The least they can do is give us benefits, and also give us living wages. I’m sorry, but you cannot have a courtesy clerk out here for 8.75 an hour.”
Meadows has been with Kroger for 7 years. She referred to full-time co-workers who have been with the company over 30 years and have yet to receive full-time benefits. UFCW Local 400 spokesperson Alan Hanson said the protest has been peaceful. He has been impressed by the support the employees have received from the community.
“The support that the customers have for Kroger associates through this has been overwhelming,” Hanson said. “We hope to keep things like this and show Kroger that we can express our opinion, but do it in a peaceful and respectful way.”
Hanson said all employees want is a resolution.
“Most importantly, they want to make sure that Kroger invests in West Virginia. Over the past couple of years, Kroger workers have reported huge cuts to hours. Kroger workers are understaffed. Many Kroger workers are having to do three jobs and still only earning one paycheck.
Kroger released a statement Tuesday saying they are “in the process of negotiating a new contract with UFCW Local 400 for our associates in West Virginia”.
The company also said they want to reach a conclusion that helps everyone involved.
“We are confident, if both parties stay focused on having productive dialogue at the table, we can reach an agreement that is good for our associates and right for our business,” the statement read. “Kroger’s goal is to provide our associates a competitive and solid compensation package of pay and benefits. That includes affordable health care and pension to provide our associates a secure retirement.”
Employees say the union has attempted to negotiate with Kroger for about three weeks. Meadows said they will not give up until an agreement is reached.
“They’re wanting to give us benefits that (are) unrealistic that we can’t afford. So what’s that say about a company who’s bought numerous other grocery chains out and they’re not willing to give us nothing in return.”
It was unclear Tuesday how close the company and the union are to reaching an agreement.