Council Members Warn of Potential Store Closures, Job Losses, and Higher Prices
Five Los Angeles City Council members introduced a resolution Friday opposing the proposed $24.6 billion merger between Kroger Co. and Albertsons. The merger could lead to the sale of 14 Los Angeles supermarkets to C&S Wholesale Grocers, leaving their future uncertain.
“We’re sending a clear message to our federal leaders that the City of Los Angeles is unequivocally opposed to the Kroger-Albertsons merger,” said Councilwoman Traci Park, one of the resolution’s signatories. “We can’t risk losing community-serving assets that provide pathways into middle-class jobs with union wages and good benefits.”
Councilmember Park also posted a video to her Facebook page in her weekly “Legislative Minute” thanking local residents who came to support the motion and protect the “Little Vons” in Westchester.
In February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the merger, alleging it would reduce competition, resulting in higher prices and lower quality for essential household items and threatening the livelihoods of grocery workers.
“The merger between Kroger and Albertsons is bad for our consumers, our communities, and our workers. The City must do what we can to protect our most vulnerable and stop this plan from happening,” stated Councilmember Heather Hutt.
Councilmember John Lee highlighted the potential impact on local communities, saying, “The proposed merger threatens the existence of stores our communities rely on to feed their families. It threatens the livelihood of thousands of workers and their families and the health of our neighborhoods. Healthy competition leads to better customer prices and better wages for workers. This merger will fail at both.”
Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez expressed his concerns, stating, “We will not tolerate a plan that will result in fewer choices, higher prices, and lower wages.”
Councilmember Tim McOsker added, “We can’t stand still as large national companies make decisions based on their bottom lines that harm our neighborhoods, our constituents, and our families. The prospective Kroger-Albertsons merger is detrimental to our communities and our local workforce—both today and in the future. It is crucial for the City of Los Angeles to stand strong in our legislative policy to oppose this merger and prevent the erosion of good jobs and neighborhood-serving stores.”
Monique Hightower, a store clerk and member of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, which represents thousands of grocery workers in Southern California and has actively opposed the merger, emphasized the severe consequences for employees and customers. “If Kroger and Albertsons were allowed to become one big company, it would result in store closures, food and pharmacy deserts, layoffs, and higher prices, especially since the company’s plan to divest 579 stores, including my Albertsons store, to C&S Wholesale Grocers. The potential closure of our stores would be disastrous for employees like me, who rely on our jobs to support our families, and customers who depend on us for their daily necessities,” she said.
The resolution, introduced by Councilmembers Traci Park, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Heather Hutt, John Lee, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Tim McOsker, has been referred to the Rules, Elections, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee for further consideration.
