Safeway and Albertsons resume union negotiations, King Soopers next

3 2 minutes read

Contract negotiations have resumed between United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 and Albertsons, the parent company of Safeway, as grocery workers in various Colorado cities entered day 13 of their strike on Friday.

President of UFCW Local 7, Kim Cordova, announced the restart of talks in a video shared on social media late Thursday, urging picketers to remain resilient and continue their efforts.

Cordova also mentioned that the union is gearing up to resume discussions with King Soopers and City Market on July 1 and 2.

Earlier in the year, around 10,000 King Soopers employees went on strike at 77 stores across several Colorado counties. The strike lasted 12 days before a temporary agreement was reached between King Soopers and union representatives, pausing the labor dispute for 100 days.

Despite extending the peace period until June 8, recent updates indicate that no new agreements have been reached, according to the union’s bargaining updates.

Cordova emphasized the importance of unity in the ongoing negotiations, stating, “We’re taking on the two largest grocers in America, and so this fight is big. This is about more than just this contract. It’s about future contracts.”

Key demands from union members include better staffing levels, fair wages, and the safeguarding of workers’ health and pension benefits.

Addressing the progress made with Safeway, Cordova noted, “When we initiated the first picket lines with Safeway, we were able to prompt them to reconsider some of their health care proposals, similar to those currently presented by King Soopers.”

A spokesperson for Safeway informed The Post that negotiations with the union are ongoing, although no new updates have been provided at this time.

The union has initiated the Safeway strike gradually, with over 30 Safeway locations listed on the union’s website currently participating in the strike, encompassing stores and a distribution center.

Stores on strike include various locations across Colorado such as Denver, Lakewood, Aurora, Colorado Springs, and more.