King Soopers, Union Reach New Agreement For Statewide Vote

DENVER, CO – After new offer from King Soopers management, union brass hinted that a grocery workers strike in Colorado may have been averted.

After a 37-hour bargaining session, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 posted on Facebook that a "final offer" was secured with Kroger-owned King Soopers/ City Market.

[W]e have secured a final offer with King Soopers/City Market," the union posted.

Denver-area members of UFCW Local 7 voted last week by more than 90 percent to authorize a strike. About 12,200 union members work in Colorado grocery stores, including King Soopers and City Markets locations. The stores with most union employees are in the Denver area.

"We are deeply grateful for the strength of our members, the support of our customers, and the help of the communities we work in," said union President Kim Cordova in a statement. "Today’s deal represents an important investment in King Soopers and City Market workers and strengthens our ability to continue providing shoppers with the high-quality customer service they deserve. This final offer was the result of more than 37 straight hours of bargaining this weekend and would not have been possible without the courage and strength of our members."

Cordova called the offer "significantly better than where we started in December."

Beginning next week, UFCW Local 7 members across Colorado will vote on whether or not to ratify the proposed contract.

The union and Kroger have been in negotiations since January after a contract expired in December. Items of contention were small pay raises, for only some workers, and what the union considered an onerous approval process for employee paid sick days, (other than emergency hospitalizations) which they said required ten years of service in the company's original offer.

No further details were immediately released on the new offer.

A statement from King Soopers, reported in the Denver Post said:

“King Soopers/City Market and UFCW Local 7 have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract covering the company’s 12,200 associates working in 104 stores in Colorado. … Thank you for your patience during this process and your commitment to serving our customers and community.”

The Kroger Co. is the largest "traditional grocery retailer in America" with more than $122 billion in sales last year, the union said in a statement. King Soopers and City Market are the "leader in grocery sales, with 47% of the grocery sales in the state," the union said.

Related: Kings Soopers Workers Authorize Strike: Union Votes To Walkout