Quality Food Centers, Inc. (QFC), operating as a subsidiary under Kroger, is critiqued for its involvement in practices that support authoritarian influence. The analysis highlights significant lobbying expenditures and a notable proportion of Republican-leaning employee political contributions, combined with ethical concerns over its supply chain practices, particularly the sale of products connected to domestic prison labor.

Employees at QFC, alongside those at Fred Meyer, protested a policy banning the wearing of Black Lives Matter buttons at work, arguing that it violates federal labor law and their union contract. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 has already filed an unfair labor charge with the National Labor Relations Board against QFC.

Region 19 of the National Labor Relations Board found that QFC, as part of the Kroger umbrella, violated federal labor law by prohibiting workers from wearing union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons. This decision exposes systemic issues in the company’s labor practices and its approach to worker rights, contributing to an environment that undermines collective action and equality.

Quality Food Centers announced the closure of two underperforming Seattle stores, citing the increased operating costs imposed by a new city ordinance requiring hazard pay for frontline grocery workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The move was criticized by labor unions, who described it as a tactic to intimidate local governments and undermine worker protections.

According to a Seattle Times report, Quality Food Centers, along with Fred Meyer, reportedly violated federal labor law last fall by prohibiting employees from wearing union‐provided Black Lives Matter buttons, a move that suppressed workers’ political expression and undermined their rights.

Quality Food Centers announced the closure of two underperforming Seattle stores and the layoff of 109 workers, stating that the City Council's hazard pay mandate made continued operations financially unsustainable.

QFC announced the accelerated closure of two Seattle stores, citing financial unsustainability due to a city ordinance mandating $4 hazard pay during the pandemic. Critics, including union leaders and city officials, argue that the decision shifts blame onto public policy while masking the parent company's significant pandemic profits.

Employees at QFC stores were reportedly prohibited from wearing Black Lives Matter buttons, leading United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 to file an unfair labor charge with the National Labor Relations Board. While the company offered an alternative wristband, the policy has been criticized for undermining workers' rights to political expression.

In September 2020, employees at QFC stores reported that they were prohibited from wearing Black Lives Matter buttons at work, prompting United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 to file an unfair labor charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The company's alternative of offering wristbands was criticized by employees as insufficient, highlighting concerns over worker rights and political expression.

UFCW 21 filed formal grievances and an unfair labor practice charge against Quality Food Centers following its decision to ban employees from wearing Black Lives Matter buttons. The union argues that this action violates workers' rights under union contracts and federal labor law, raising concerns over the company’s labor practices and its commitment to supporting marginalized communities.

Quality Food Centers closed two Seattle stores as a direct response to the Seattle City Council's ordinance mandating a $4 per hour hazard pay increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision, driven by profit margin concerns, led to job losses and reduced community access, highlighting the company's prioritization of cost management over worker job security.