"Why is the FTC so set against this supermarket merger?"
October 28, 2024
Antitrust probably encounters the Law of Unintended Consequences:
Why, then, is the FTC so concerned about this case? The answer may lie in the final section of its complaint, which asserts that the merger could lessen demand for labor — specifically union labor. . . .
Paradoxically, applying labor-related considerations to mergers might not be helpful to either workers or unions. If the FTC succeeds in keeping Kroger and Albertsons from forming a more powerful competitor, Walmart, the behemoth of food retailing, is likely to be the big winner. It has a well-known history of refusing to recognize unions in its stores, warehouses and truck fleet.