Haggen Food & Pharmacy Grocery, a Washington state chain that expanded into California with much fanfare this year, has laid off workers and cut back employee hours at several area stores. The Bellingham-based grocer converted 83 Albertsons, Vons and Pavilion stores to Haggen grocers as part of a $7.6 billion merger of Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons and Pleasanton-based Safeway Inc. The government ordered the stores to be spun off to a third party. Mark Ramos, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1428, told the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin that about 50 part-time courtesy clerks have been laid off and about 35 full-time staffers have been made part-time. The paper reported that the job cuts were made at stores in Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Diamond Bar and Chino Hills. No layoffs were reported to have taken place in the greater San Fernando Valley where 13 stores were converted. The company acknowledged in a written statement that it had reduced employment but declined to be specific about the layoffs, which it said may be temporary. “To ensure we’re operating as efficiently as possible, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily cut back on staffing at our stores, with specific reductions varying by store,” said Bill Shaner, chief executive for the Pacific Southwest region, in the statement. “We will continue to monitor performance with the goal of restoring hours as we build customer affinity for Haggen and establish ourselves in the competitive grocery space,” the statement added. Among the greater Valley locations are Burbank, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Westlake Village and Woodland Hills.
