Union Representing 1000s Of CO Grocery Store Workers To Strike

DENVER, CO —The union representing thousands of grocery store workers at King Soopers stores in Denver and Colorado Springs voted overwhelmingly this week to authorize a strike against what it called the grocery store's campaign of unfair labor practices, union leaders said Friday.

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 announced that after months of negotiating with King Soopers, its members would begin a strike at 5 a.m. on Wednesday. The union said the strike would last for three weeks, until Feb. 2.

According to the Colorado Sun, the strike will affect approximately 8,400 Colorado workers at 87 grocery stores, mostly in the Front Range.

"UFCW Local 7 members who work at King Soopers have had enough of the company's unfair labor practices and will strike starting January 12," said Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7 and Vice President of UFCW International, which represents 17,000 grocery workers from Kroger/King Soopers.

Cordova continued: "King Soopers is enjoying record profits while leaving its workers to struggle with low wages. Grocery workers ensure that our communities have access to food, but they cannot even afford to feed their own families. This is grossly unfair. King Soopers has chosen to enrich its bottom line, instead of protecting workers who have risked their lives on the front lines."

In a statement, the UFCW said King Soopers had been "doing everything in its power to prevent workers from securing a new industry-leading" contract.

Late last month, the union also filed suit in the U.S. District Court in Denver against the grocery chain claiming King Soopers breached the current collective bargaining agreement by using third-party staffing services to hire non-union, temporary workers in its stores.

"Our plea remains the same: Stop these unfair labor practices, and respect us, protect us and pay us what we deserve," Cordova said in a statement.

Cordova continued: "UFCW Local 7 members will remain on strike until the company agrees to cease these unfair labor practices and comes to the negotiating table in good faith. During this strike, we ask for the support of our community. We are grateful for all the overwhelming support received and for the individuals, union partners, organizations that will be coming to Colorado to support our efforts and fight. We will continue to be relentless in the fight for our members."

Earlier this week, King Soopers said it planned to take its own legal action against the union for unfair labor practice, bad faith bargaining and tactics, and unlawful conduct, according to the Colorado Sun.

"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," Joe Kelley, president of King Soopers/City Market, said in a statement, according to the Colorado Sun. "Meanwhile Local 7 is threatening disruption instead of focusing on what is best for our associates, their members."