Investing.com -- Drivers at Kroger (NYSE: KR )’s Forest Park fulfillment center in Georgia have voted in favor of a strike due to the company’s refusal to negotiate a fair contract. The workers, represented by Teamsters Local 528, seek a contract that provides strong wages, good benefits, and enforceable workplace protections.

Marion Jackson, a Kroger driver and Local 528 shop steward, expressed the workers’ readiness to strike if Kroger continues to disregard their demands for a fair contract. Kroger, one of the largest grocery chains in the U.S., operates over 2,700 stores nationwide. Despite earning more than $147.1 billion in revenue and over $2 billion in profits in 2024, the company is accused of undercutting Teamsters at the Forest Park facility.

Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division, stated that the workers organized with the Teamsters to secure better wages, real benefits, and respect on the job. Erickson emphasized the union’s commitment to hold companies accountable and prevent them from shortchanging their members.

Last year, the 30 CDL drivers at the Forest Park facility voted by a 96 percent margin to join the Teamsters. Since then, Kroger has been accused of delaying negotiations and not offering a contract that meets basic standards. The drivers are receiving strong support from local community groups, including the Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta.

Rev. Shanan E. Jones, President of Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, criticized the practice of disenfranchising workers who contribute significantly to a corporation’s profit goals. He emphasized that the drivers who deliver Kroger’s products deserve dignity, respect, and a fair share of the profits they help generate.

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