COLORADO SPRINGS — Employees at King Soopers stores in Colorado Springs will not be pulled on Wednesday as part of the strike by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 over "unfair labor practices."
In Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, and Colorado Springs, the lowest vote percentage to strike was 95%, and in Boulder and Broomfield the vote to strike was 100%.
"We have a significant number of stores to pull on Wednesday and Colorado Springs will be pulled at a date to be determined," said Union spokesperson Dakar Lanzino.
The update was announced in a press conference held on Monday, the union did not expand on why the decision was made to not establish picket lines at the Colorado Springs stores.
During the press conference, Union President Kim Cordova said the upcoming strike will be the largest labor dispute involving grocery workers since 1996. The last time King Soopers employees went on strike it lasted 42 days.
Cordova also added that the company wants to bring in a federal mediator to help with negotiations, but the union does not believe adding another presence to the process would be "productive."
The union has filed a lawsuit and several complaints to the National Labor Relations Board accusing King Soopers of labor violations. The charges filed to the NLRB include refusal to bargain, bad faith bargaining, modification of contract, and coercive actions. The lawsuit alleges that the company hired outside workers to perform union work.
A representative from the company, Jessica Trowbridge, said in a statement that King Soopers "has followed the law and has not received any notice of wrongdoing from the National Labor Relations Board." The statement also said that King Soopers "remains focused on the bargaining process and is committed to negotiating in good faith."
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