New Mexico union files charges against Albertsons, Smith's for colluding despite failed merger
Jun. 13—A New Mexico union representing thousands of food workers on Friday announced it filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against regional food chains Smith's and Albertsons.
The union, in contract negotiations with both companies, alleges the grocery store owners are not bargaining in good faith, a development that could lead to strikes this month. Taking it a step further, the charges state Smith's and Albertsons have worked together in the bargaining process, despite the two being completely separate entities.
In late 2024, state and federal courts rejected a merger request by Kroger, which owns Smith's, and Albertsons. The companies have since sued each other over how the deal fell apart and whose fault it was.
But New Mexico's United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1564 — which represents more than 2,500 Smith's employees and around 1,200 Albertsons workers — doesn't think the failed merger stopped the companies from working together. The union's charges, filed earlier this week, state Smith's and Albertsons have "engaged in collusion ... on bargaining proposals, effectively creating a multi-employer bargaining unit without the union's consent."
The charges also allege both companies have failed to provide the union with requested information needed to bargain and have refused to arbitrate grievances.
"I've been dealing with both companies for many years, and they appear to be more united now than ... any time before," said Greg Frazier, president of the local union.
Smith's denies conducting any unfair labor practices. Spokesperson Tina Murray said, "The path to a fair and peaceful resolution is at the bargaining table," urging the local union to work with the company in finding common ground.
"We're focused on reaching a balanced agreement — one that increases wages for our associates while keeping groceries affordable for New Mexico families," she said.
Albertsons didn't respond to a Journal request for comment Friday.
UFCW Local 1564 has been in negotiations with Albertsons and Smith's on contracts since May, Frazier said. The current contracts would've expired this weekend, but the union and companies agreed to extend them through June 28.
Unionized Smith's and Albertsons employees around the state are voting next week about whether to strike over the alleged unfair bargaining practices. Each chain has dozens of stores in New Mexico. The union would announce the start and length of any potential strikes, and participating union employees would get paid up to $100 a day, according to UFCW.
"We don't feel that we can bargain efficiently with what's going on around us," Frazier said.
Frazier pointed out that other states have also filed charges against the grocery store chains. Just this month, multiple UFCW branches filed charges with the NLRB against Albertsons and Kroger stores, including branches in California, Texas and Oregon, according to NLRB's docket.
"This behavior is not giving those workers the opportunity to make a fair living," Frazier said. "We're hoping the behavior changes and that we can start making progress in negotiations."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chocolate company recalls product nationwide for undeclared allergen
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Chocolate products have been recalled nationwide due to potential undeclared milk allergens, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Pennsylvania-based distributor, Weaver Nut Company, Inc., has recalled its semi-sweet chocolate nonpareils with white or Christmas colored seeds, the advisory from the FDA says. More Local News People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk could face serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume the impacted products, the FDA warns. So far no illnesses have been reported. The issue was discovered through a wholesale customer who filed a complaint saying the shipment was misaligned with the product specifications. Lab tests confirmed the presence of milk in the product. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State Consumers who have purchased the recalled product are urged not to eat it if they have a milk allergy and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Below is the list of lot codes for the affected chocolates. 47518 – Nonpareil, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Christmas Seeds) 204206 204207 204208 204209 204212 224225 D2645 – Nonpareils, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (White Seeds) 204214-RL 204214 204215 224221 224222 224223 135215 135216 135217 135220 135221 145204 145205-1 145207-1 145210-1 Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Bloomberg
32 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Ether Leads Crypto Selloff as US Attacks Nuclear Sites in Iran
Ether fell sharply while Bitcoin held steady after President Donald Trump said American bombers and missiles had struck Iran's three main nuclear sites. The second-ranked token fell as much as 7.7% on Sunday morning in Asia to about $2,200, its lowest intra-day level since May 9. Bitcoin briefly dipped below $101,000 but pared losses to trade relatively evenly in the aftermath of the attacks.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Workiva Inc. (WK) Appoints Astha Malik to Its Board of Directors
Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) is one of the 11 Best Tech Stocks to Buy On the Dip. On May 29, Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) announced the appointment of Astha Malik, Chief Business Officer of Braze, to its board of directors. Malik brings 25 years of experience in driving growth and scaling high-growth SaaS companies. The company also released its Q1 2025 results on May 1. The revenue of $206 million grew 17% year-over-year driven by a 20% increase in subscription and support revenue. Both of these financial indicators surpass management's guidance despite a challenging environment characterized by a cautious buying environment and flat professional services revenue. A software engineer debugging a compliance code on a laptop in a modern office setting. After the earnings release, analyst Alexander Sklar from Raymond James maintained an Overweight rating on Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) lowering the price target from $125 to $105. The analyst noted the company showed strong bookings in Q1 however, the tough macroeconomic environment led to a conservative outlook by Raymond James. Regardless, Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) maintained its full-year revenue guidance at $864 million to $868 million. Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) is a technology company that operates a cloud-based platform that enables organizations to streamline and automate financial, sustainability, and compliance reporting processes. Its SaaS platform combines ERP, HCM, and CRM applications, supporting real-time collaboration and integrated reporting across teams. While we acknowledge the potential of WK as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Melden Sie sich an, um Ihr Portfolio aufzurufen.
