Grocer hiring temp workers, strike grows to 40 stores
Over the weekend, negotiations between United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 and Safeway’s parent company, Albertsons, hit a roadblock, causing the ongoing strike to continue for over two weeks.
Meanwhile, the union is gearing up for discussions with King Soopers and City Market, set to begin on Tuesday.
In a social media post on June 28, UFCW Local 7 expressed disappointment that despite their efforts to reach a resolution, the company opted to walk away from negotiations, prolonging the strike.
The post also criticized Safeway for aligning with King Soopers instead of taking a leading role in the negotiations.
In response, Safeway has begun hiring temporary workers to fill various positions such as customer service, stocking, cleaning, and checkout roles.
Heather Halpape, communications and public affairs manager for Safeway’s Denver Division, provided a statement over the weekend, emphasizing the company’s commitment to reaching a new agreement with UFCW Local 7. The statement highlighted the company’s proposed offer, including wage increases, healthcare coverage, and pension plan stability.
Safeway expressed willingness to resume negotiations and hopes for a prompt resolution.
While all Safeway stores in Colorado will remain open, those affected by the strike will have adjusted operating hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with pharmacies operating as usual.
As of now, no future talks are scheduled with Safeway, but union negotiators will engage in discussions with King Soopers and City Market on July 1 and 2.
Earlier this year, approximately 10,000 King Soopers employees went on strike at 77 locations across various counties in Colorado. The strike concluded after a temporary agreement was reached, pausing the labor dispute for 100 days.
Despite efforts to extend the peace period, no new agreements were reached, leading to the resumption of talks between the parties.
Both King Soopers and Safeway are urged by union members to address concerns such as staffing levels, fair wages, and the protection of workers’ benefits.
The Safeway strike has been gradually implemented, with over 80 locations affected so far, including stores in various cities within Colorado.
UFCW Local 7 represents a diverse workforce of 23,000 members in Colorado and Wyoming, spanning across different industries such as grocery stores, packaging facilities, beauty services, cannabis, counseling, and healthcare.
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