Strike possible as King Soopers, union negotiations break down

DENVER — Contract negotiations between King Soopers management and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, the union that represents 12,000 of the grocery chain’s employees in Colorado, broke down Thursday evening, resulting in threats of a strike from the union.

King Soopers negotiators “abruptly walked out of the room and did not return” during negotiations, according to a statement released Friday morning by the union. UFCW Local 7 is accusing the company of not bargaining in good faith.

“UFCW members are proud to serve King Soopers and City Market customers,” UFCW Local 7 president Kim Cordova said in a prepared statement. “We are committed to making King Soopers and City Market a better place to work and shop, but we can’t do that without a partnership with the company.”

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Rocky Mountain Health Plans (RMHP), part of the UnitedHealthcare family, has pledged its commitment to uplift these communities through substantial investments in organizations addressing the distinct needs of our communities.

The two sides, which began negotiations late last year, have disagreed on issues such as overtime, leave, sick time and scheduling.

Proposals from King Soopers have been “unacceptable,” according to the union’s statement, and “members will likely make the tough choice to authorize a strike to protect their families, their communities and their customers.”

In a statement, King Soopers disputes the union’s characterization of the negotiations.

“We want to set the record straight on labor negotiations. It’s unfortunate the facts have been misrepresented. Our associates and customers deserve the truth,” the statement said. “Our team has made themselves available to continue negotiating with the union. As negotiations continue our stores and associates will serve our communities as they always have.”

King Soopers, according to the statement, makes investments in associates such as wage increases, incremental investments to the employee pension plan and investments in employee health care.

“We know our associates are the heart of King Soopers/City Market and we will continue to negotiate with them and our communities in mind,” the statement said.