PITTSBURGH - Giant Eagle is making what it calls “voluntary separation offers” to 160 employees at its Northeast Ohio stores.

Not everyone who works for the grocery chain can take advantage of the offer.

According to a statement from Dan Donovan, Director of Giant Eagle Corporate Communications, the offer has been made available to a “select group” of employees.

The eligibility to be considered for the offer was determined by a number of factors, according to Donovan, including hire date and position type. 

The company stated that those receiving the offer account for less than two percent of the Northeast Ohio workforce and that the offers are strictly voluntary.

A spokesperson for United Food and Commercial Union Local 880, which represents Giant Eagle's unionized workers, told 21 News that the offer is being made to certain high seniority employees.

The union says the offer is similar to others that have been made in previous years, “providing an opportunity for high-seniority workers in certain positions to advance their retirement date with a significant financial cushion to ease the transition,” according to the union's statement.

Union officials are encouraging members who are considering the offer to contact the Local 880 Pension and Health and Welfare office to verify that their records are in order and to learn what their retiree health care benefits would be, and how much their monthly pension benefits would be.

“Local 880 encourages its members not to make a decision until they have a full appreciation of all of the facts, including what their Social Security and Medicare benefits would be,” according to the union statement.

News of the buyout offer comes as the supermarket chain's website is publicizing hiring events later this month at six stores in the Cleveland, Columbus, and Akron-Canton areas.

Giant Eagle held similar job fairs at its Boardman and Howland locations last June.

This past October, Giant Eagle offered buyout packages to 340 corporate employees.