Union For King Soopers And City Market Workers Says They Will Go On Strike Next Week
(CBS4) - Employees across Colorado at King Soopers and City Market grocery stores could walk off the job soon.
On Friday morning the UFCW Local 7, the union that represents workers, released a statement saying they will go on strike next Wednesday.
The contract between employees and the Kroger managers expires at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. After 17 hours of negotiations the union and Kroger, the parent company of the grocery stores, could not come to an agreement.
Kroger said earlier this week it was offering wage increases of up to $4.50 in the first year of employment and signing bonuses over the next three years. It also says it does not project health care increases through 2025. The enhanced offer was rejected by the union.
The union has told CBS4 in the past that it wants hazard back pay, and is concerned about health care.
In a statement, Kroger accused the union of threatening disruption instead of what's best for its associates and members.
"We think our associates should have a right to vote on the comprehensive best offer to settle, because ultimately it impacts their pockets, as does a strike," said Joe Kelley, president of King Soopers, in a statement. "We know that a work stoppage creates a troubling position that often leads to financial hardships for our associates."
King Soopers and City Market are hiring temporary workers at $18 an hour in an effort to avoid further wide-scale disruptions.
