Thousands of King Soopers Employees On Strike

Employees of King Soopers across Colorado have staged a large walk-out and strike which began at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, January 12. Just four days into the strike, customers have encountered empty shelves and closed departments in many of the chain’s stores.

Resulting from failed negotiations between the grocery store chain and its union, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7, more than 8,700 workers from King Soopers stores in Denver, Parker, Boulder, and Broomfield have gone on strike.

The union held a press conference on January 10 addressing the employee’s concerns with the company, as well as the breakdown in negotiations. Their demands include higher wages, better health care plans, and increased on-the-job security in light of the shooting which took place in a King Soopers in Boulder last March.

So far, the union has reported ‘little to no progress with the company,” claiming that King Soopers, and its parent company, Kroger, “refuse to address the concerns and needs of employees.”  King Soopers President, Joe Kelley, maintains that the company has already met those needs.

“We have 50 percent of our people today that make over $20 an hour. Seventy-five percent of our team make over $18 an hour,” Kelley tells ABC News. According to Kelley, the strikes come at a time when King Soopers wants to invest ‘more than ever’ into affordable healthcare.

Viral photos which have been circulating on social media depict hiring signs for King Soopers with wages ranging from $13-$18. Striking employees have come forward and said that these wages are only being offered to temporary employees filling in during the strike.

The decision to strike was voted on almost unanimously, and the union posted a video to both TikTok and Twitter on January 2 with captions that read: “Parker Meat, Boulder Meat, Broomfield Meat, and Retail- 100 percent voted to strike. Denver Retail- 98 percent voted to strike. Denver Meat- 97 percent voted to strike.”

During their press conference, Union President Kim Cordova addressed the employee’s frustrations.

“When you work for the largest chain in the state of Colorado and the largest chain—their parent company, Kroger—in the United States, you shouldn’t have to struggle,” Cordova says.

But some do struggle. Bakery manager Carol McMillian explains during the press conference that some team members live out of their cars because they can’t afford housing. Beyond that, employees feel the company has been too lenient with mask mandates inside stores, while simultaneously taking away their hazard pay just two months into the pandemic.

The union has reported that there have been 1000 cases of COVID 19 among Colorado King Soopers/ Kroger employees and five employee deaths due to the virus.

“There are customers that are irate because departments are closed, but they take it out on us instead,” Andres Becerril, a head clerk, says. “Things don’t change unless people get hurt with King Soopers.”

Negotiations between the union and King Soopers broke down as a result of the company hiring a federal mediator instead of someone who understood the issues at hand.

“These out-of-state lawyers don’t understand our contracts. They don’t know where we are in the process,” Cordova said. “So, the company has put themselves in a position where we’ve rejected their proposals.”

King Soopers President, Joe Kelley told shoppers to expect that some departments, and possibly entire stores may have to close during strikes. Many shoppers have taken videos or photos of completely empty shelves and desolate parking lots. Other stores, such as Castle Rock and Monument are not unionized and remain unaffected.

The union has started a hardship fund for those looking to help financially support picketers during this time.

King Soopers has requested a temporary restraining order against picketers as of January 18. The temporary restraining order, filed in Denver District Court, asks that striking King Soopers employees not harass customers or other employees as they cross the picket line. The order also asks that picketers not congregate on King Soopers property in groups larger than five people.

In the order, King Soopers lists instances of union members blocking customers from entering the store, or barring cars from parking lots. The union rejected what it said were “unfounded allegations” in the filing.