DENVER (KDVR) — Union employees of Safeway and Albertsons locations across the state are being asked to consider striking during a series of scheduled meetings that begin Friday.
According to UFCW Local 7, which represents the union workers of Safeway and Albertsons, the company and union have been negotiating for eight months, most recently meeting on Friday, May 23. The union stated in an update posted to Facebook that Safeway agreed to “important language items” sought by the bargaining committee, “including a new drug and alcohol rehabilitation policy and protection of Drive Up and Go shopper work.”
But the union says that the company “remains far behind” on certain economic issues the union has brought up. The union said the company is proposing:
- Lower wage increases than are being offered by competitors
- Health care cuts, “along with increases that are too small to prevent even more mid-contract health care cuts”
- Pension contributions that “would cut benefits for current workers and retirees”
The union says the stores are understaffed and that the company is backtracking on an agreement for retroactive pay and benefit increases, which the labor union cited as an unfair labor practice.
“We have been bargaining with Safeway and Albertsons for eight months now,” UFCW Local 7 stated. “Unfortunately, the company has chosen to follow the path of King Soopers and City Market by insisting that workers take unwarranted concessions. Workers have had enough and the bargaining committee is fed up.”
Safeway provided a statement on the possible strikes and ongoing negotiations to FOX31 on Monday.
At Albertsons Companies, we are committed to productive discussions with UFCW Local 7. We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and are negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, good for our customers and allows our company to remain competitive.
Albertsons Companies spokesperson
Negotiations with Albertsons and Safeway are scheduled to resume on June 2 in Wheat Ridge.
The union said other unfair labor practices include:
- Refusing to honor an extension agreement requiring the employer to make retroactive wage increases and benefit contributions
- Directly dealing with a worker to settle a grievance relating to a key bargaining matter, bypassing the union
- “Covering up illegal no-poaching agreement with Kroger during the 2022 King Soopers strike”
The Denver, Boulder, Louisville, Brighton, Broomfield, Castle Rock, Conifer, Evergreen, Idaho Springs and Parker union store members will meet for a strike vote on Wednesday, June 4.
Pueblo employees of Safeway are scheduled to hold a strike vote on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31. Stores in Vail, Salida, Grand Junction and Fountain have confirmed strike votes between May 30 and June 1.
Earlier this year, thousands of King Soopers workers who were members of UFCW Local 7 went on strike, alleging unfair labor practices by the company. The 12-day strike, from Feb. 6 through 17, ended with an agreement allowing the union to return to the bargaining table with King Soopers for at least 100 days without any lockouts or further strike action.
In April, the union filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that King Soopers and City Market violated the agreement.
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