The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 555 has become the first union representing grocery workers to endorse the proposed $24.6 billion Kroger-Albertsons merger, Supermarket News reports. 

UFCW Local 555 represents over 30,000 grocery store workers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming. At a national level, UFCW has been outspoken about its opposition to the merger. 

Ann Poff, vice president of UFCW Local 555, said in a release, “Our workers would rather work for people who run grocery stores over online or big-box retailers.”

She said it would be foolish to oppose a merger in an effort to maintain the status quo.

“Forcing Cerberus to continue to own Albertsons isn’t an option. If they don’t sell to Kroger, it will be someone else," she said.

To ease antitrust concerns over the deal, the union said it would require the companies to divest hundreds of stores and assets to C&S Wholesale Grocers, LLC, including 413 stores, eight warehouses, and two offices. 

Many of those locations will be in Oregon, Idaho, and southwest Washington.

“C&S has the opportunity to bring a long-term strategy to a grocery industry focused on the short-term demands of shareholders and private equity investors,” Local 555 Union President Dan Clay said in a prepared statement.  

“Employees of Kroger and C&S will be better off than employees of other potential buyers whose actions never seem to match the image they project publically. In a refreshing change of pace, C&S seems poised to deliver a much-needed fresh perspective for employees and customers alike,” Clay added.