Haggen grocery workers scramble for post-closure jobs
A bankrupt grocer that beat a hasty exit from the market has set a firm closing date for its local stores.
Employees of Bellingham, Wash.-based Haggen, which entered the Las Vegas Valley in June with its purchase of seven Vons and Albertsons stores, said the company will close its area locations on Nov. 17. They said that's about 10 days earlier than the company initially told them.
Haggen did not confirm the closing date Friday.
But workers said the moved-up closure date has heightened their sense of urgency to find new jobs. They circulated a petition earlier this week at change.org, asking customers to urge the Federal Trade Commission to let the newly merged Vons and Albertsons buy back the stores "with employees keeping their jobs status."
The Federal Trade Commission is involved because it's the agency that forced Albertsons and Vons parent Safeway to sell stores as a result of their $9 billion merger. The ordered sale was designed to prevent a grocery monopoly.
Haggen, a small chain of 18 stores in Washington and Oregon, bought 146 West Coast stores, including seven in Las Vegas.
As part of the agreement, Albertsons and Safeway employees stayed with each divested store. The contract barred the grocers from hiring former employees from Haggen, but on Sept. 25 the commission agreed to lift the hiring prohibition.
But some long-time Safeway employees say the rehiring has been slow, and they're being offered their jobs back at lower pay with fewer benefits.
Anthony Di Serio, a clerk at the Haggen store at 1940 Village Center Circle, said Thursday night that just two to four of the 40 employees left at the store have returned to work with Safeway. Three moved to Smith's Food & Drug.
Di Serio said he could go back to Safeway, but the store won't recognize the pay and vacation time he built up over nearly 20 years as an employee. He said his hourly pay would drop from nearly $18 to $14. Nor would he be able to get full-time hours — a problem because he needs health insurance to pay for skin-cancer treatments. His paid time off would drop as well.
Albertsons said in statement that it will "continue to work cooperatively with the unions representing these employees, and look forward to welcoming many of them back into the Albertsons and Vons family."
But a company spokeswoman declined further comment when asked how many employees had returned, or whether some of them would lose seniority that determines pay and benefits.
Haggen employees at the Village Center Circle store said each of the seven stores has about 40 to 45 employees left.
Meanwhile, another major grocer wants to help.
Smith's Food & Drug said it plans an Oct. 23 job fair for local Haggen workers.
Smith's has already hired about 10 Haggen department heads, and now wants to fill hourly clerk positions in nearly every department, said Marsha Gilford, the company's vice president of public affairs. The grocer also seeks baggers.
Gilford said Smith's has 125 to 150 open positions right now, but could add more.
"We found this to be a great opportunity to reach out to people who are already knowledgeable in our industry, and we're always looking for friendly, new associates to serve our customers," Gilford said. "I think we have a great opportunity to find jobs and continue employment for these people."
Haggen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, and filed a lawsuit accusing Albertsons of conduct that hurt quality and increased prices for thousands of customers. The lawsuit also alleges that Albertsons caused "needless loss of jobs" and inflicted severe financial harm on Haggen. Haggen executives said damages in the breach of contract and fraud claim could exceed $1 billion.
Albertsons said it will defend the case "vigorously."
Other area Haggen stores are at 1031 Nevada Highway in Boulder City; 2910 Bicentennial Parkway; 190 N. Boulder Highway; 575 College Drive; 7530 W. Lake Mead Blvd.; and 820 S. Rampart Blvd.
Contact Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @_JRobison on Twitter.
