UFCW Pans Albertsons' Possible Sale
WASHINGTON -- The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union yesterday characterized Albertsons' strategy to seek strategic alternatives, including a possible sale, as a move "without appropriate concern for the kind of uncertainty this causes store employees, communities the grocer serves, or shareholders."
The criticism was issued a statement from UFCW's president, Joe Hansen. Hansen said UFCW local unions representing nearly 110,000 Albertsons workers nationwide will be mailing letters to UFCW Albertsons members this week, informing them that the union will continue to "aggressively represent its members" and enforce all union contract provisions while the retailer seeks a buyer.
"UFCW-represented Albertsons employees have helped make the company a major nationwide force in the supermarket industry. In fact, the chain's most successful and profitable markets are comprised of stores with UFCW-represented workers," Hansen said. "The UFCW intends to protect all Albertson's employees and the community members who make up Albertsons' customer base by ensuring that their interests, along with that of Albertsons' shareholders, are well served.
He said the labor group "will actively engage Albertsons and its suitors to ensure that all of the company's stakeholders emerge from the current situation with a more promising future than Albertsons' current management thinks it can deliver."
The criticism was issued a statement from UFCW's president, Joe Hansen. Hansen said UFCW local unions representing nearly 110,000 Albertsons workers nationwide will be mailing letters to UFCW Albertsons members this week, informing them that the union will continue to "aggressively represent its members" and enforce all union contract provisions while the retailer seeks a buyer.
"UFCW-represented Albertsons employees have helped make the company a major nationwide force in the supermarket industry. In fact, the chain's most successful and profitable markets are comprised of stores with UFCW-represented workers," Hansen said. "The UFCW intends to protect all Albertson's employees and the community members who make up Albertsons' customer base by ensuring that their interests, along with that of Albertsons' shareholders, are well served.
He said the labor group "will actively engage Albertsons and its suitors to ensure that all of the company's stakeholders emerge from the current situation with a more promising future than Albertsons' current management thinks it can deliver."