The plan is facing increasing opposition from workers who say it will reduce competition, shutter neighborhood grocery stores, hike food prices and put more than 5,700 employees out of work.
“Economists have estimated that as many as 400 stores could close because of overlaps and 5,750 employees would lose their jobs,” said Judy Wood, who works as a cake decorator at an Albertsons in the city of Orange. “Money is the only motivation for these corporations.” “I have serious concerns with the proposed mega merger and the impacts it will have on our community,” Lowenthal said. “We already hear stories of working families struggling to put food on their families’ plates. Reducing competition may exacerbate that struggle.”
Forty-four percent of employees polled said they are unable to pay for rent and 14% said are homeless now or have been in the past year.