United Food and Commercial Worker's Union Local 1496

Alaska Safeway and Carrs stores will be sold to C&S Wholesalers if a divestiture plan goes through later this year. It’s part of a proposed $24.6 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons companies, and includes turning both Fairbanks Safeway stores and one in North Pole into C&S groceries, while maintaining current job and wage levels.

About 100 workers at the West Fairbanks Fred Meyer store have asked to join the United Food and Commercial Workers. Yesterday they presented a letter to the store’s management. The non-grocery workers would join grocery, and meat & seafood employees in the store, who are already represented by the same union.

Fred Meyer stores in Fairbanks are negotiating a contract with the United Food and Commercial Worker's Union. But the parties have reached an impasse and the union has asked for a third-party negotiator to break the stalemate.