Faye Guenther, president of local UFCW 3000, hugs Carol McMillian, bakery manager at Kroger-owned King Soopers and member of Local 7, after a news conference about the Kroger and Albertsons merger outside the federal courthouse on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Portland, Ore.
But the Federal Trade Commission sued to try to block the deal, saying it would eliminate competition and raise grocery prices in a time of already high food price inflation. In the three-week hearing that opened Monday, the FTC is seeking a preliminary injunction that would block the deal while its complaint goes before an in-house administrative law judge.
The commission also alleges that workers' wages and benefits would decline if Kroger and Albertsons no longer compete with each other. The labor union also expressed concern that potential store closures could create so-called food and pharmacy "deserts" for consumers. U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson is expected to hear from around 40 witnesses, including the CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons, before deciding whether to issue the injunction.
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