The Los Angeles Times reports that a US Appeals Court has ruled that an antitrust suit filed by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer against Safeway, Albertsons and Kroger can proceed.
The suit alleges that a “share the pain” agreement among the three chains, which kept any one of them from benefiting at the expense of the others during the four month grocery strike of late 2003 and early 2004, was actually in violation of antitrust law.
The chains looked to get the case dismissed, saying that their deal was protected by labor law. But the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed.
The suit alleges that a “share the pain” agreement among the three chains, which kept any one of them from benefiting at the expense of the others during the four month grocery strike of late 2003 and early 2004, was actually in violation of antitrust law.
The chains looked to get the case dismissed, saying that their deal was protected by labor law. But the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed.
- KC's View:
