CINCINNATI, June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Kroger Co. today said it has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Locals 408 and 455 in Houston and Local 540 in Dallas, Texas. This includes both retail associates in Houston and meat associates in both Dallas and Houston.
The tentative agreement covers over 13,000 Kroger associates at 202 stores in the Dallas and Houston metropolitan areas.
The UFCW will fully recommend this tentative agreement to its members for consideration. Details of the tentative agreement are not being released pending ratification.
"Both the Company and the Union put many hours and meetings into reaching a fair and balanced agreement for our associates," stated Bill Breetz, President of Kroger's Southwest Division, which has operations in Texas and Louisiana.
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger is one of the nation's largest retail grocery chains. In 2006, the Company donated $150 million to help hunger relief efforts across the country, raise awareness of breast cancer, and support local schools and organizations in the communities it serves. At the end of fiscal 2006, the Company operated (either directly or through its subsidiaries) 2,468 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banners including Kroger and Kroger Marketplace, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, King Soopers, Smith's and Smith's Marketplace, Fry's and Fry's Marketplace, Dillons, QFC and City Market. Kroger also operated (either directly or through subsidiaries, franchise agreements, or operating agreements) 779 convenience stores, 412 fine jewelry stores, 631 supermarket fuel centers and 42 food-processing plants. For more information about Kroger, please visit our web site at http://www.kroger.com/.
