Skip to Content

Colorado King Soopers workers to strike beginning Thursday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Starting early Thursday morning, King Soopers workers across Colorado will go on strike, according to their union.

Among those striking are those in stores throughout Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties as well as King Soopers stores in the cities of Boulder and Louisville.

Stores in Colorado Springs and Pueblo could follow in the near future. Those workers have approved strikes, but the union has yet to announce a start date for their strikes. Union workers tell KRDO13 members in southern Colorado could strike as soon as Friday, but will send an announcement ahead of time.

UFCW Local 7 says it will fall under an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike as they allege several disputes against King Soopers. Those allegations include that King Soopers illegally interrogated union members about bargaining, and threatened members with discipline for wearing union clothing and buttons. They also alleged King Soopers unlawfully gutted $8 million in retiree health benefit funds.

The union president said she's even encouraging customers to transfer prescriptions.

"She's also said she wants to give the communities time to transfer their prescriptions from King Soopers to Safeway. I'm a little concerned about [that]. So when we talk about bargaining in good faith and she's treating Safeway different than King Soopers, it makes no sense," said Joe Kelley Division President, King Soopers, in an earlier interview with KRDO13.

The union said they are not satisfied with the plans for their health benefits and they want better security at the stores.  

Monday, King Soopers responded to the coming strike with a press release.

The release said, "Despite King Soopers urging UFCW Local 7 to give their members a voice by allowing them to vote on the Company’s Last Best and Final offer the Union has allowed the Company’s offer to expire, without providing a single counter wage proposal, and has once again chosen disruption and uncertainty by scheduling a work stoppage."

The release also included a statement from the president of King Soopers, Joe Kelley. "We urge Local 7 to reconsider their approach and prioritize the best interests of our associates, their members, and the communities they serve. It is time to put aside their unreasonable demands, false rhetoric, and headline-seeking tactics and work towards a fair and timely resolution that increases associates' pay while keeping groceries affordable. We want to make a fair investment in our union associates, and this work stoppage only further delays adding more money to their paychecks,” Kelley said.

A shopper at the new King Soopers location off of North Gate Blvd. told KRDO13 he was unaware of the looming strike.

"If I knew about it, I probably wouldn't have come today," stated shopper Kody Penton.

Penton was out on his usual grocery shopping trip with his roommate. He said in the future if workers are striking he will choose a new store.

"It's the same distance and probably better stuff. I will definitely go to Sprouts over Soopers if that's the case," shared Penton.

He shared the sentiment that good wages make for good employees. The saying echoes similar to what union workers are calling for.

"We need more staffing, hours, our health care, and our pension," shared Reyna Carpenter, "We're real concerned about that, and safety because times have changed."

Carpenter is a union member and the seafood department manager at her King Soopers location in Pueblo. She says employees are overworked and tired. Carpenter also worries that the temporary workers King Soopers pledged to provide won't get the proper training.

"The proper handling of seafood, proper handling of the different types of meat we have. And so that's a real concern of mine, cross-contamination. If they're rotating the dates properly, so we're not putting an expired product out. So that affects not only our department but the consumer as well," explained Carpenter.

Article Topic Follows: Local News

Jump to comments ↓

Celeste Springer

Author Profile Photo

Mackenzie Stafford

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content