Ex-Kroger Warehouse Workers Win Big

Ex-Kroger Warehouse Workers Win Big

Indiana, Ohio Teamsters to Receive Severance Pay

December 17, 2002

Teamster warehouse workers in Indiana and Ohio who used to work for Kroger are likely to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in severance pay under an arbitrator’s decision.

The members of Local 135 in Indianapolis and Local 100 in Cincinnati had been employed by Kroger in those cities. In December 1998, Kroger subcontracted the warehouses in Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and the two locals filed a grievance under the Kroger Master Agreement asking for severance pay for all affected workers. The case was deadlocked at the Joint Area Committee in St. Louis.

After numerous delays by Kroger, the locals began the arbitration in Cincinnati on May 16, 2001. On December 10, 2002, the arbitrator ruled in favor of the Teamsters, ordering Kroger to pay severance.

The decision affects about 300 workers in each city, and the severance pay is likely to be in the $250,000 range for each group. Many of the workers are now employed by the subcontractor.

“This decision affects about 600 members in Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and Roanoke (Virginia) and Columbus (Ohio) have yet to arbitrate because they were waiting on us to conclude,” said Danny Barton, President of Local 135.

“I would like to thank the stewards involved in the case—Tom Connor and Scott Rockel—for their courage and unlimited patience. It should also be noted that they never lost confidence in the International and the local unions during the four years it took to get this resolved,” Barton said.