Grocery workers union calls on newly elected Democrats to ban electronic shelf labels
The largest grocery workers union is taking aim at digital price tags following the success of Democratic candidates in the midterm elections.
America's largest grocery workers union, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), is urging newly elected Democrats to ban electronic shelf labels and surveillance pricing in grocery stores. The UFCW, which represents over 1.2 million people, celebrated the midterm election victories of labor-backed candidates and issued a statement calling for legislation to prevent digital price tags and personalized pricing.
UFCW President Milton Jones stated that lawmakers should implement such bans to protect shoppers from corporate price gouging. The UFCW's concerns come as retailers like Walmart and Kroger increasingly replace printed price tags with digital versions that can be updated remotely. The Federal Trade Commission recently ordered several major grocery chains to submit detailed pricing practices reports, prompting consumer advocates to question whether companies use web browsing data or other personal information to determine the highest price they can charge each consumer.
New Jersey has already banned surveillance pricing and imposed a one-year moratorium on electronic labels, while Maryland requires retailers to lock in prices for at least one business day. Retailers have defended these technologies, claiming they streamline labor-intensive processes and enhance accuracy, and have assured consumers that their pricing remains fair and transparent.
Major chains Walmart and Target have explicitly stated that they do not use personal information to charge shoppers higher prices and have no plans to do so in the future, even as they continue to offer personalized discounts via promotions and membership programs.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
