King Soopers, City Market workers in Denver, Colorado Springs authorize strike as contract deadline

King Soopers, City Market workers in Denver, Colorado Springs authorize strike as contract deadline looms


Denver and Colorado Springs-area King Soopers and City Market grocery workers voted overwhelmingly Monday to authorize a strike against the supermarket chain, adding pressure to ongoing contract negotiations set to wrap up this week.

More than 97 percent of Denver union members voted Sunday to authorize a strike in response to alleged unfair labor practices. At least 95 percent of Colorado Springs members voted in favor Monday.

“It’s evident that workers are fed up,” said Kim Cordova, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, which represents roughly 17,000 King Soopers and City Market retail and butcher workers in the state. “They’re upset with their employer with the way they’ve handled negotiations and the lack of respect the company has for them.”

The vote allows the union power to call a strike if bargaining members are unable to reach a deal with the company. The two sides have been in negotiations for weeks, and the current contract expires January 8. If a strike occurs, workers could walk off the job as early as January 9.

Read more: https://www.cpr.org/2022/01/04/king-soopers-city-market-workers-in-denver-colorado-springs-authorize-strike-as-contract-deadline-looms/