A Key Player Could Complicate This Big Merger | Clayton News The Street Partner Content

Case in point: the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) is opposing the  merger. That in itself is not unusual (can you think of a time when any union supported a big merger?). But the UFCW’s reasons deserve special attention.

Kroger said it wouldn’t close any stores, distribution centers or manufacturing facilities as part of the deal, or lay off front-line workers from stores that might need to be divested for regulatory approval.

That sounds like a good deal. But like anything, the devil is in the details. And so far, there haven’t been a whole lot of them.

Union president Mark Perone said the companies have not provided enough information about which and how many stores the combined company plans to divest.

“We are not getting any definite assurances right now,” Perrone said.

The UFCW has good reason to be worried. Mergers almost always mean subtraction, not addition.

“Since the moment this proposed merger was announced, our union has stated that we would oppose any merger that undermines the wages, jobs,…