Three Central Oregon Albertsons/Safeway stores are slated to be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers LLC as part of the merger between Kroger and Safeway.

In all there are 62 Albertsons Co. and Kroger stores up for divestiture in Oregon and a total of 579 stores nationally to be sold to C&S, which operates stores under the name of Piggly Wiggly and Grand Union. The three stores in Central Oregon to be sold under terms of the merger are:

• The Forum Shopping Center Safeway on NE U.S. Highway 20 in Bend

• The Safeway, formerly Albertsons, on S. U.S. Highway 97 in Bend

• The Safeway on U.S. Highway 97 in Redmond.

Last year, Kroger and Albertsons, which also owns Safeway, released a list of stores that would be divested to C&S if the proposed merger is approved by the Federal Trade Commission. In February the FTC sued to block the largest proposed supermarket consolidation in U.S. history and alleged the deal would knock out competition.

The FTC also said that the merger would raise grocery prices for consumers.

Union workers employed at the stores have been assured that their jobs would not be lost. Miles Eshaia, communications coordinator for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, said the union wants to make sure a grocery chain owns the stores, not a big-box company.

“Everyone has a right to be nervous,” Eshaia said. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whose name is on the door, the union will take care of its people. The workers’ benefits will be secure. We’ll fight for our members no matter what.”

Kroger operates in 36 states under the names of Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, Kroger and Quality Food Centers (QFC), according to the FTC. Albertsons operates in 35 states under the names of Albertsons, Haggen, Jewel-Osco, Pavilions, Safeway and Vons.

If the merger is approved, the company would operate more than 5,000 stores and 4,000 retail pharmacies that would employ 700,000 people in 48 states.

“We have reached an agreement with C&S for an updated divestiture package that maintains Kroger’s commitments to customers, associates and communities, addressing concerns raised by regulators and will further ensure that C&S can successfully operate the divested stores as they are operated today,” said Rodney McMullen, Krogers chairman and CEO, in a prepared statement. “The updated divestiture plan continues to ensure no stores will close as a result of the merger and all front-line associates will remain employed.”