Colorado King SOOPER’s workers need to start striking Thursday

After a vote by Union GroCery Store workers wrapped up this weekend, UFCW Local 7 announced on Monday that union members will strike.

According to the Union, approx. 10,000 workers in 77 stores in Colorado go on strike at. 5 Thursday, February 6th. It includes King Sooper’s workers in Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties and in stores in Boulder and Louisville.

Stores in the grocery store in Colorado Springs and Pueblo voted to approve the strike over the weekend. Both approved overwhelming strike, but the union did not answer questions about whether workers in these cities will also strike.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 calls it an unreasonable work practice strike and stated the charges Monday:

• Illegal to inquire union members about our negotiating and surveillance members in discussions with union staff.
• Illegally refuse to provide information needed for the Union to make or consider proposals in contract negotiations, including sales data needed to staff proposals
• Illegally threatening members with discipline and sends home from work to simply exercise their union rights to wear union clothing, buttons and other union equipment that allows workers to stand in solidarity.
• Illegally insist on turning off $ 8 million in pensions for health benefits to pay for wage increases for active workers.

UCFW Local 7 put the vote to authorize the strike after King Soopers and the union did not reach an agreement on a new contract. Negotiations started in October and lasted for months until the negotiation stopped. The existing contract that was ratified after the 2022 strike expired on January 17.

The Union rejected what King Soopers called his “last, best and last offer” to the workers.