The union representing King Soopers workers in Colorado is calling for a strike that could start as early as Sunday, a day after its contracts end with stores in the Denver area and Colorado Springs.
Earlier this week, union members at nearly 90 stores voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike based on unfair labor practices. Kim Cordova, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, said after 17 hours of bargaining Wednesday, King Soopers stuck to a proposal she called “riddled with concessions” that King Soopers wants from workers and failed to address the union’s comprehensive proposal.
Union negotiators rejected the proposal.
“We’ve made the decision to call for the strike,” Cordova said. “Which day we pull the picket lines is going to be a decision that our team will be making soon.”
The union said Thursday afternoon that it and Albertsons, which owns Albertsons and Safeway stores in Colorado, agreed to extend their contract and keep negotiating. Sticking points in the talks include safety, sick leave, full-time status and a two-tier pay structure.
The UFCW Local 7 was negotiating separately with the two companies. Details of the agreement weren’t available.
King Soopers, the largest grocery chain in Colorado and the U.S., said in a statement that it made its best offer, which includes $148 million for wage increases and signing bonuses over the next three years. The company, which also owns City Market stores in the state, added that it proposed additional money for health care benefits with zero impact to employees’ health care premiums based on current projections.
“At King Soopers, we want what is best for our associates, and our goal is to continue providing market competitive wages and benefits that we know are so important to our associates and their families,” said Joe Kelley, president of King Soopers/City Market.
However, Cordova said the union believes the $148 million would apply to managers and others not in the union and wouldn’t amount to much. She said the money is insufficient, especially at a time when Kroger, King Sooper’s parent company, has posted record profits.
King Soopers is offering temporary replacement workers $18 an hour, which is higher pay than many of its employees get, Cordova said.
The store has posted signs advertising for replacement workers in case of a strike.
U.S. grocery sales jumped by 11% in 2020, more than triple the growth of the previous two years, the U.S. Census Bureau said. The industry profited as restaurants closed during the coronavirus pandemic and people ate more meals at home.
Financial filings showed Kroger’s operating profit was $4 billion in 2020, up from $3 billion in 2019. Kroger said Dec. 30 that it authorized a $1 billion buyback of stock.
The union says concessions proposed by King Soopers include capping how much sick leave workers can take at 48 hours a year and the amount of sick leave they can accrue to 96 hours over a lifetime. Cordova said the company hasn’t responded to concerns about the enforcement of mask mandates and other COVID-19-related precautions, and the call for armed guards due to security problems.
The UFCW Local 7 filed a lawsuit last week that accused King Soopers of unfair labor practices, which include using outside staffing services to fill union-covered jobs.
The union represents 17,000 grocery workers in Colorado and Wyoming. Contracts between the union and the two companies expire starting Sunday with some not ending until later in February.
Updates to correct that the union and Safeway/Albertsons have agreed to extend their contract and keep negotiating.
