Don McIntosh at People’s World reports on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) effort to block the largest grocery acquisition in U.S. History - and one that could endanger Workers’ jobs while increasing food prices.  The FTC, joined by the Attorneys General of the State of Oregon and eight other States, wants Judge Nelson to grant a preliminary injunction delaying the merger, which is supposed to be consummated by October 9th.  However, this major anti-trust trial that is important to Workers and consumers, has drawn little attention.  Both Kroger and Albertsons are the proverbial big fish that swallowed up almost all other traditional grocery competitors.  Now Kroger proposes to swallow Albertsons for $24.6 billion, creating a juggernaut of four dozen chains, nearly 5,000 stores, and close to 700,000 Employees.  The FTC says such a merger would violate Anti-Trust Laws meant to prevent anti-competitive monopolies.  In this case, for the first time ever, the FTC is challenging the merger not just on the grounds it will hurt consumers, but on the grounds that it will hurt Union Workers in the stores.  United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555 President Dan Clay and several other Local UFCW Presidents were called to testify and explained the Wnion often employed a “whipsaw” strategy, playing one Union employer against another.  In markets with more than one large Union grocery employer, Members can Strike one and encourage customers to go to the other.

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: Kroger/Albertsons merger threatens to intensify grocery price gouging – People's World (peoplesworld.org)