Ohio Valley Kroger Workers Take Their
Case to the Public in a Facebook Flashmob
Steady Stream of Worker Posts Overwhelms Kroger's Facebook page

CANONSBURG, Pa., Sep 14, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Ohio Valley Kroger workers blitzed the Kroger Facebook page with an online flashmob today, expressing concerns about unfair treatment and wages, support for workers in general, and dismay that after posting higher than expected profits the company refuses to include workers in their success.

At least several dozen Kroger employees and supporters participated in the flash mob, posting on the Kroger wall, recommendations section and in comments. Starting around 4:00 p.m. a steady stream of posts overwhelmed the Kroger page for more than two hours. As employees left to go to work or attend to families, others joined the flashmob.

"This action is an outgrowth of the Kroger employees' concern over wages, their passion for their jobs and their customers, and their growing frustration with Kroger. The idea arose because the employees in these stores have expressed their concern and frustration on Facebook and used it to support each other very actively. This comes from them," said Tony Helfer, President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23.

Negotiations are scheduled to resume Friday after they broke down again just before Labor Day when the company refused to budge on employees' demands for an equitable increase in workers' pay after a pay raise given to management in July. Employees hoped for hourly raises to help keep pace with inflation since Kroger has recently boasted of its success this year. Kroger refused, offering instead a one time, taxable bonus in year one and $.10/$.20 increases the following year.

"That's $4.00 a week, IF you work a full 40 hour week. With the increase in cost of the health care package, most workers will actually lose money on this contract," said Tony Helfer, President of UFCW Local 23.