COLORADO - After months of negotiations, Albertsons and Kroger-owned retailers King Soopers and City Market have reached an agreement with union workers, averting the threat of an imminent strike. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7, which had been pushing for improved employee benefits, has been satiated by the deal which largely concedes to workers’ demands.
“King Soopers/City Market and UFCW Local 7 have reached an agreement and the members have ratified it. This is good news for our associates, customers, and communities,” King Soopers spokesman Adam Williamson said in an email.
Union members voted in February to end their contract extension, opening up the possibility of a strike. Months of contentious negotiations followed before reaching the current agreement.
The announcement came Thursday night, when 12,200 union members voted to approve the deal, reports The Denver Post. Bringing about “solid wage increases for all workers” at both King Sooper and City Market stores, the deal improves upon a number of employee concerns, including improved vacation time, affordable healthcare, stable pensions, and sick leave, among many others.
Kroger was not the only retailer in negotiations with UFCW Local 7, as Albertsons and its Safeway banner also approved a new contract, though The Denver Post reports that negotiations between the union and Albertsons were far less tense than those that took place with Kroger.
According to the UFCW, over 20,000 union workers in Colorado and Wyoming cast their votes on the deals in 85 different voting sessions in Colorado starting April 4. Though UFCW spokesmen declined to provide exact numbers, membership was said to have “overwhelmingly” supported the bill.
Will a new era of employee satisfaction rise with the adoption of this new agreement? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
