UFCW - United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

04/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/02/2026 08:01

Poll Finds Marylanders Overwhelmingly Support Ban on Electronic Shelf Labels and Surveillance Pricing in Grocery Stores

69 percent believe electronic shelf labels will cause grocery prices to increase

68 percent support banning this technology in grocery stores, with strong majorities across party lines in favor

ANNAPOLIS, MD. - Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) released a poll from GBAO Strategies that shows overwhelming bipartisan support among Marylanders for banning electronic shelf labels (ESLs) and surveillance pricing in grocery stores. This technology enables corporations to exploit shoppers' personal data to set individualized prices that can change in the blink of an eye. This comes as Governor Wes Moore and Maryland lawmakers consider legislation to ban these practices and technologies.

UFCW International Vice President Ademola Oyefeso said:

"No Marylander is insulated from the devastating effects of record-high grocery prices. Electronic shelf labels, and the discriminatory practice of surveillance pricing that they enable, threaten to drive costs even higher.

"The results of this poll confirm that Marylanders know the dangers of electronic shelf labels and surveillance pricing and expect their lawmakers to take action. Maryland has a chance to get ahead of this corporate exploitation before it becomes common practice. The UFCW applauds the lawmakers who are standing up for consumers and workers."

Maryland is among 12 states to have joined the UFCW's "Affordable Groceries and Good Jobs Campaign," to ban the predatory practice of surveillance pricing, target the encroachment of AI-driven technology in grocery stores, and deliver fair prices for families while preserving good, union grocery jobs.

UFCW Local 27 President Jason Chorpenning said:

"UFCW members understand the toll high grocery prices take on lives: they see it at the register, in the aisles, and in their own grocery bills.

"Electronic shelf labels will only hike costs higher. With the ability to change prices at a moment's notice, ESLs make it nearly impossible for families to stick to a budget. I commend the lawmakers who are fighting to keep this predatory technology out of our grocery stores."

UFCW Local 400 President Mark Federici said:

"Food is a necessity, and no one should be paying more for milk or eggs based on their identity or zip code.

"UFCW members are at the frontlines of the affordability crisis, and they are demanding action from their lawmakers. Keeping electronic shelf labels out of our grocery stores is vital to lowering the cost of groceries for Marylanders."

Email [email protected] to speak with a spokesperson about the threat that ESLs and surveillance pricing pose to fair grocery prices and good, union jobs. The polling memo is available here.

BACKGROUND

  • The poll finds that 69 percent of Maryland voters think ESLs and 73 percent think surveillance pricing will cause grocery prices to increase.
  • Support for proposed legislation in the state cuts across party lines, with 68 percent in favor of banning this technology in grocery stores.
  • Retailers cannot be trusted to do the right thing, with 61 percent of respondents saying they don't trust grocery stores to use the technology responsibly.
  • Nearly 80 percent of Marylanders have a negative view of the U.S. economy, with 71 percent worried about the cost of groceries for their household and 74 percent expecting the amount they spend on groceries to increase in the next year.
  • ESLs enable retailers to change prices instantaneously, and corporations are racing to deploy them. Walmart, for example, plans to replace traditional paper price tags with digital ones across all of its stores by the end of 2026. The corporation also recently secured patents to use shoppers' personal data to update prices at scale.
  • ESLs also threaten the livelihoods of grocery workers. These systems could replace the skilled work of grocery clerks or, at the very least, leave them to explain a company's actions to rightfully angry shoppers. The UFCW represents more than 800,000 grocery workers across North America. UFCW members are essential to keeping our communities fed, and they know how disruptive ESLs could be for workers and shoppers alike.

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The UFCW International is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.2 million workers and their families in grocery, meatpacking, food processing, health care, cannabis, retail, and other essential industries. UFCW members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org.

UFCW - United Food and Commercial Workers International Union published this content on April 02, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 02, 2026 at 14:01 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]