United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, a union representing grocery workers in Colorado and Wyoming, has filed a lawsuit against King Soopers alleging the grocery chain violated the agreement that ended an 11-day strike in February.
“King Soopers and the Union reached an agreement that ended the strike and both sides committed to return to (the) bargaining table and negotiate in good faith; the union agreed it would not take any more strike actions for 100 days; and, the employer would not unilaterally implement any changes in the contract,” UFCW 7 officials said in a news release.
Pueblo King Soopers employees participate in an unfair labor practice strike on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
In the lawsuit filed April 17, the union asserts that King Soopers & City Market have and continue to violate the terms of the agreement they signed at the end of the strike.
“We agreed to end the strike and return to work and have labor peace for 100 days. The employer’s side of that agreement was that they would not implement any new terms without our agreement (or) lock out workers, and would negotiate in good faith. They have failed in that commitment,” Kim Cordova, UFCW Local 7 president, said in the release.
The lawsuit claims King Soopers & City Market have not given consideration to union proposals during the negotiations, and put ultimatums forward that would expire in April, months before the 100-day stand-down period runs out.
“The Employer needs to address issues of staffing, safety, raises, benefits, and other topics. King Soopers has been acting in the same manner they did before our strike — a my way or the highway approach to negotiations,” Cordova said. “That is not a negotiation. That is an ultimatum — one of the many things they can’t do during this good faith bargaining process.”
“The clock is ticking. We are now about halfway through our 100-day stand-down agreement, and the employer has done very little to move things along. Indeed, they have and continue to take actions that drive us away from, instead of toward, a new contract,” Cordova continued. “We need King Soopers & City Market to switch gears and begin to bargain in good faith, and this lawsuit is about ensuring King Soopers is held accountable for failing to honor the agreement they made.”
King Soopers officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Union sues King Soopers, claims strike-ending agreement was violated