Kroger contract ratified; 41 stores reopening

The Kroger Co has been notified by United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 400 that a new labor contract covering 3,300 employees in 44 stores in West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky has been ratified by UFCW members, ending a nearly two-month work stoppage.

The Cincinnati OH-based supermarket chain has begun recalling workers and scheduling deliveries of fresh product to stores for December 12. Twelve fuel centers that had been closed during the work stoppage will reopen December 12.

Three stores will not be reopened. Those stores are in Gauley Bridge WV, Pomeroy OH, and Gallipolis OH.

"As we said before the work stoppage began, Kroger would reopen as many stores as we believe we can economically operate. Unfortunately, the impact of the strike, combined with the projected cost of restocking, does not make it economically feasible for us to reopen these three stores," said Pete Williams, president of Kroger's Mid-Atlantic Marketing Area.

Employees in those three stores may exercise their seniority rights to transfer to other Kroger stores.