WESTMINSTER, Colo. — For the second day in a row, UFCW Local 7 and King Soopers are bargaining for a new contract for more than 10,000 King Soopers employees across Colorado.
The current contract for some of these employees is set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, according to UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova.
The expiration comes as shoppers head to their local grocery stores to stock up ahead of forecasted frigid temperatures across the Front Range.
"We went in and got a bunch of stuff because it's gonna get really cold," said Rex Colvin, a longtime King Soopers shopper. "It's gonna be really cold on Monday, so we don't want to go on Monday."
- Watch Scripps News Denver's previous coverage below
Rex Colvin lives in Westminster and remembers when King Soopers employees went on strike nearly three years ago.
"They were picketing like [what] normally happens, and they were really good about letting you come in and get your prescriptions," Colvin said. "They'd rather you not go in there and basically, I honored it, and I went and shopped somewhere else."
Joe Kelley, the president of King Soopers/ City Market, told Scripps News Denver he is doing everything he can to avoid a strike.
"We've had 13 sessions with Local 7, and although we've given them our proposal back on December 4 — a very, we think, aggressive, comprehensive offer, increase in wages, increase in pension, maintaining our health care plans for our associates — unfortunately, they're stalling, and we don't understand why," said Kelley.
- Read King Soopers' Jan. 15 comprehensive offer for retail employees here. For the comprehensive offer for meat employees, click here
Cordova disagrees with that sentiment, saying she is bargaining in good faith for union members. She said union employees want King Soopers to address safety concerns and lacking staff.
"Because they're short staffing and they won't invest in safety, you know, we're seeing a lot more violence inside these stores, a lot more theft," Cordova said.
Kelley said that's not the case.
"It's more than a priority for us, safety. Safety is what keeps me up at night, quite frankly," he said. "It's a core value for our organization. If there's any violence that's happening within three miles of our stores, we immediately react to that."
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According to Kelley, King Soopers shared a $4.25 an hour increase "over the life of the 4-year contract for top rate associates, department heads and pharmacy techs." The increase excludes courtesy clerks, according to an update on Wednesday.
"Nobody wins in a strike," Kelley said. "It's time to get this contract settled, and we need Kim Cordova to negotiate it."
Cordova maintains she's looking out for the best interest of union members.
"We'll see what happens tonight. But if not, then we'll be scheduling some votes very quickly," she said.
If no deal is reached by the time the contract expires Thursday night, UFCW Local 7 members must vote to strike.
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