COLORADO — Contracts for King Soopers union workers in Colorado Springs expired over the weekend, meaning the ongoing strike elsewhere in the state could soon be expanding.
A representative from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 (UFCW), the union representing thousands of Colorado King Soopers employees, confirmed the contract expiration, but noted there are no immediate plans to strike in Colorado Springs.
But, the rep said, the Colorado Springs workers have already authorized an unfair labor practice strike against Kroger, the parent company of King Soopers, and could call a strike at any time. Typically, they’d give 48 hours notice, but that isn’t necessarily required, the rep said.
77 King Soopers stores, and roughly 10,000 union employees, have been participating in the strike in the greater Denver area and Pueblo for over a week.
In Colorado Springs, about one to two thousand unionized workers at 11 stores could hit a picket line, UFCW said.
Over the phone on Sunday, Matt Shechter, general counsel for UFCW Local 7, confirmed a KOAA newsroom tip and said King Soopers has contracted with a temporary staffing service to bring employees in from out-of-state to work behind the picket lines. It’s a practice he said has been seen in the Denver area as well.
Shechter said the company contracted by King Soopers was called Strom Engineering Corporation. The Strom website notes their “Strike Staffing” solutions and states “We offer a seamless transition into the workforce by prepositioning key resources and deploy personnel quietly and at a moment’s notice.”
Shechter also claims that King Soopers President Joe Kelley had been sending out a pre-recorded message to workers encouraging them to cross the picket line. A King Soopers spokesperson says these claims are not true.
On Saturday, King Soopers formally requested UFCW enter into an agreement while negotiations continue in the hopes of avoiding further disruptions caused by the strike.
"Let’s be clear—this work stoppage has never been about wages, healthcare, or pensions. Instead, the Union is using unsubstantiated unfair labor practice claims as a tactic to create unnecessary disruption and uncertainty. Our associates deserve stability, and our customers rely on us for affordable groceries—not ongoing turmoil," said Joe Kelley, King Soopers/City Market Division President, in a press release.
King Soopers said they’ve met with the union 13 times to find an agreement, but claimed the union has not responded “with any substantive offer, has not provided a wage proposal and has made no request to return to the bargaining table.”
The same day, UFCW7 sent King Soopers a letter in response, laying out the conditions necessary for union employees to stop striking.
According to the letter, the union is asking that King Soopers drop the lawsuit against the union, ensure there will be no retaliation against union workers who participated in the strike, and re enter negotiations with the union.
UFCW is also asking for "requested sales data" on how it determines the number of labor hours for each store, and a Non-disclosure Agreement.
If Kroger/King Soopers agrees to these conditions, the union said they will "pull down picket lines" when the conditions are met.
The union anticipates that King Soopers will agree, but they have not released an official statement. On Sunday, UFCW would not comment on the status of negotiations.
You can read the full letter of UFCW conditions below:
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