Two King Soopers locations in Pueblo set to go on strike on Friday

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - After an embattled past few months between UFCW Local 7 and King Soopers, two stores in Pueblo will be going on strike, according to a union representative.

The two stores are on W 29th Avenue and W Northern Avenue. The strike is expected to begin Friday morning. Employees say they plan to form a picket line and hope customers go across the street to Safeway.

King Soopers says the strike will impact the open hours of affected locations. They say they are committed to keeping stores open, but locations on strike will be open for fewer hours during the week and closed on Sunday:

"King Soopers is committed to keeping all stores open during the work stoppage, with impacted locations running on temporary hours. Impacted stores will be open from 7am – 8pm daily and pharmacies at impacted locations will operate Monday – Friday from 9am – 7pm and Saturday from 10am – 5pm, (closing daily for lunch from 1-130pm) and closed on Sundays.

Customers are also welcome to use the Company’s delivery services by shopping online at www.kingsoopers.com/delivery. Standard delivery fees will be waived on orders over $35, between February 6 -18, 2025 – customers will need to clip a digital coupon to claim this offer."

- King Soopers spokesperson

They also added that the union did not communicate that they were expanding the strike to Pueblo locations.

That doesn't mean the strike will impact Colorado Springs, yet.

According to a union spokesperson, even if they wanted to, Colorado Springs workers can not move forward with a strike because they are still under contract. Most contracts have a “no strike clause.” The other stores on strike could do so because their contract expired.

The representative did not know the exact day when Colorado Springs workers’ contracts will expire but said he believed it would be later this month.

One employee at a Pueblo King Soopers location that will be striking Friday said that they are prepared to strike for up to two weeks, but hopes they can reach an agreement with King Soopers before then.

In a statement to KRDO13 this morning, King Soopers said that employees were not striking because of unfair wages or health care, but rather "based on allegations that the National Labor
Relations Board has yet to even investigate."

They say the strike is bad for everyone, including consumers, who could be forced to pay up to 10% more at Safeway stores, according to King Soopers.