WESTMINSTER, Colo.—A union representing grocery workers at King Soopers stores in Colorado asked the chain Thursday for another contract extension, with the sides still at odds over pension benefits and wages.
United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 said it asked King Soopers for an unconditional 10-week extension, beyond an initial extension that expires Saturday.
King Soopers, owned by Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., proposed an extension until June 15, spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said. The chain could impose a lockout with 24 hours’ notice.
Union workers rejected the offer because of the 24-hour lockout provision, said union spokeswoman Laura Chapin.
“Our workers want to keep working. They don’t want to show up for work and literally have the door shut on them,” she said.
Thursday was the last scheduled day of talks for all Colorado bargaining units.
“We don’t want to be locked out. We want to keep talking,” said checker Julie Collier.
“We’ll be here all night if they’re willing to sit down with us,” said checker Matt Legner, who has 26 years of experience with King Soopers.
UFCW Local 7 represents about 17,000 grocery workers at King Soopers, Safeway and Albertsons whose contracts all expired May 9. The chains’ contracts tend to be similar.
Safeway has agreed to extend contracts until June 15 and is tentatively scheduled to resume talks with the union next week, spokeswoman Kristine Staaf said. It also is reviewing the latest contract proposal from the union.
Mulligan said that King Soopers officials were “tremendously disappointed” that their June 15 offer was turned down while Safeway’s was accepted, even though the chain also has a lockout provision. She said King Soopers doesn’t want a 10-week extension.
“We are against this because we know our associates and customers do not want more foot-dragging that will keep our associates on edge and fearful,” Mulligan said.
Chapin said Safeway’s offer was accepted while King Soopers’ was not because there are two different groups of workers voting.
“It’s really the workers voting, it’s not us,” Chapin said.
Mulligan said store officials expect workers to continue working without a contract with the same pay and benefits and that King Soopers “will continue to work hard to quickly come to an agreement.”
Albertsons workers are working under terms of the last contract. The company declined to comment.
King Soopers and Safeway have an agreement allowing one chain to lock out workers if the other chain’s employees go on strike, and both have accepted applications for temporary workers.
Safeway workers authorized a strike when they rejected the last contract offer from Safeway earlier this month, but King Soopers workers have yet to hold a strike vote.
UFCW Local 7 said the companies are seeking nearly 50 percent cuts in pension benefits, but Mulligan said benefits are still under negotiation. King Soopers has proposed contributing $35 million to workers’ pension fund.
Mulligan said King Soopers’ latest proposal offered part-time workers health care coverage for their families after one year, down from the current three years, for the same cost. It would move the early retirement age from 50 to 55.
The union, meanwhile, wants to scrap a two-tier system that it says pays employees hired after May 2005 $1 less per hour for the same jobs with no pension benefits and reduced health benefits.
Susan McKnight, a mother of four who first worked at King Soopers as a teenager, rejoined the chain almost a year ago. As a newer employee, she said, she doesn’t get vacation time or medical benefits and no extra holiday pay. She said she pays $145 a month for medication.
She said she loves working for King Soopers, but, “We’re not here to make Kroger rich on our backs.”
The grocers have said they are competing against non-unionized chains like Wal-Mart, as health care costs rise and as the stock market sinks the value of pension funds.
“We believe it’s time for the union to focus on the current economic reality we all face,” Mulligan said.
The unions say the economic downturn has helped grocers as people cut back on restaurant meals and cook at home.
Collier, 48, said she hopes to preserve pension benefits after sacrificing nights, weekends and holidays for the chain over her 29 years at King Soopers. At one point, five family members also worked for King Soopers, and she got married on a Wednesday so they could all attend. She hoped contract talks could continue.
“If they budge, we’ll budge. They’re not budging on pension,” she said.
