US: Union against Amazon’s Whole Foods bid

Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, sees Amazon as a threat to American jobs.

So on Monday, Perrone plans to file a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission, arguing that letting Amazon buy Whole Foods would trigger a wave of store closures and eventually quash customer choice.

Last month, the e-commerce company announced plans to purchase the upscale grocer for US$13.7 billion in a move that would net the company more than 450 brick-and-mortar stores across the country.

“No job reductions are planned as a result of the deal,” a representative said when Amazon unveiled the deal.

Perrone, however, said he is worried the deal would give the internet titan an “unfair advantage with suppliers,” which could put small and medium stores out of business and increase prices for shoppers, he said.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union has roughly 1.3 million members across North America, working for retailers at a typical wage of about US$18 an hour, including benefits. Members are employed at stores such as Kroger, Safeway and Albertsons. Whole Foods, however, isn’t unionized.

Full Content: The Washington Post

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