Krogers possible strike on Aug 29th

**mh3rdwheel** · 08-15-2011, 04:02 PM

The Krogers in my area voted on a new contract whichwas vetoed by 99% and 97% veted to strike on August 29th, this will prevent employees at 12 stores in my area from going to work. Krogers wants the employees to foot a lot of the health care cost. I have a Krogers in Elm Grove, Martins Ferry, Bellaire, Moundsville, Weirton, if this happens I will not shop at Krogers, I will support the employee.

**sinopa27** · 08-16-2011, 06:12 AM

I wonder if this will spread to other Krogers. I have 2 in my area.
I admire your support of the employees.

**stinkbug** · 08-16-2011, 09:46 AM

Do you actually know WHY they are striking or what the offer is? Do you know what they offer their emplyees for benefits? I wouldn't just blindly jump on their side of the strike. My dh works for Kroger/FM and they have damn good benefits. It is a great company to work for. Even if we had to pay more for benefits, I wouldn't be balking at having good benefits in this economy. They offer (by far) better than anyone else around here. And FM also offers benefits to part time employees (24 hours).
East coast my be different, your MMV, etc.
But then...I'm not a big fan of unions.....

**Nishu** · 08-16-2011, 10:07 AM

At my Kroger, they hired only part time employees. There were almost no full time people there, and those that were full time had been there for ages. The part time employees got very little if any benefits. I wonder how man of those striking will actually benefit from the strike.

Kroger is expensive, anyway. We used to joke that if you worked there you couldn't afford to shop there.

**mh3rdwheel** · 08-16-2011, 10:20 PM

In my area the grocery stores don't like to give you a lot of hours, but they are always hiring, at Krogers it is hard to get a job there.

The article says the contract would have prevented employees from getting a raise and would have pushed thousands of dollars of healthe care costs onto each employee over the next three years.

Krogers says their off includes:
more money for associates
more money for our associates' pension fund so they can maintain
current retirement benefits.
affordable health care

Negotiations for a new contract proposal are expected to resume on Aug 23.

**craftypam** · 08-16-2011, 10:30 PM

In MI Krogers settled their contract and the benefits to new employees got cut. Part time employees only get coverage for themselves and it used to be they had to work 12 hours a week; now it's 20. And my dh works for them, hired part time; working full time hours and if he doesn't keep an average of 36 hours over 3 months I get kicked off ins. Co pays for scripts did go up, but very little.

I agree their benefits are really, really good with very little out of their paychecks to pay for it; but you are also listening/reading from someone who paid their own health ins with no prescription for over 30 years.
The pay is awful for the newer employees, but dh is working their for our ins.