King Soopers Employees Union Contracts Expire, Strike Votes Looming
After months of negotiations, the union representing King Soopers employees announced on Friday that their contracts with the supermarket chain have expired. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, which represents members in Wyoming and Colorado, had agreed to extend the contracts, originally set to expire on January 5. However, after bargaining sessions that lasted into the night on Wednesday and Thursday, the union stated that the company’s offer fell short of meeting the workers’ needs.
Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7, expressed disappointment in the company’s proposal, which failed to address necessary wage increases, health and retirement benefits, and a staffing crisis causing daily challenges for workers and customers. As a result, union leaders are now in the process of scheduling strike votes, with announcements expected as early as Monday.
On the other hand, King Soopers accused union negotiators of stalling and creating uncertainty. The company claimed that its final offer included significant investments, such as a potential 6% increase in the first year of the contract, along with promises to support and invest in employees’ interests.
King Soopers, owned by Cincinnati-based Kroger, faced a strike in January 2022 when thousands of employees in metro Denver walked off the job. An agreement was eventually reached after 10 days, followed by agreements with Safeway and Albertsons stores in Colorado.
The recent contract talks come in the aftermath of the failed merger between Kroger and Albertsons. Legal decisions in Oregon and Washington led to the collapse of the proposed $24.6 billion merger, with Albertsons subsequently filing a lawsuit against Kroger, alleging insufficient efforts to secure approval for the deal.
Cordova attributed the breakdown in negotiations with King Soopers to the company’s demands for concessions from workers, including cuts to health care benefits, elimination of seniority-based scheduling protections, and the outsourcing of union jobs to gig workers. The union has criticized Kroger and Albertsons for prioritizing shareholder benefits over the needs of employees and customers.
In response, Kroger emphasized its proposal to UFCW Local 7, which included continued low-cost health care for employees and joint labor-management committee meetings to address staffing concerns.
As the possibility of a strike looms, both sides will need to find common ground to avoid disruption to operations and reach a mutually beneficial agreement.
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