Weeks after their contract expired, thousands of unionized King Soopers grocery workers in Colorado are voting on a new five-year offer.
Voting began Monday and runs through Wednesday for workers represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7. Their contracts expired May 9, with the union and company disagreeing on raises, pension benefits and a two-tier system that offers fewer benefits to newer employees. The union wants all workers to receive the same pay and benefits.
Meanwhile, King Soopers has accused the union of disrupting business by sending representatives in groups to stores to talk to workers on the sales floor, hand out union fliers and buttons, and talk to customers. The company asked a federal judge to block the union’s actions, but a hearing isn’t scheduled until Thursday, after voting wraps up.
The union has said it has a right to inform workers about what they’re voting on.
King Soopers, which is part of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., has offered raises of 25 cents an hour for top-level employees in the first three years of the contract and raises of 30 cents an hour for the last two years of the contract, spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said.
The union said most employees would have wages frozen.
Under the proposal, King Soopers would contribute $35 million more to the pension plan, on top of about $65 million that is expected to be put in, but the union said pension benefits would drop.
The early retirement age would be pushed back to 55 from 50.
Dependents would be eligible for health care after one year, instead of after two to three years under the current contract.
“This contract is a good contract in a good economy, but it’s a great contract in this economy,” King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said.
King Soopers clerk Vijay Nand of Centennial said he hopes the sides go back to the bargaining table. Nand said that when he started with the company 28 years ago, he didn’t pay anything for doctor’s visits. Now, there are co-pays. He said all employees deserve raises.
He said grocery chains are doing well now that people trying to save money in the recession are cooking more at home instead of dining out, and Kroger Co. Chairman and Chief Executive David B.
Dillon received a salary of $1.2 million last year.
“My intention is not to hurt the company. They bring the bread and butter to the table. Our intention is just striving to be fair to everybody, not just top people,” said Nand, whose daughter, wife and two sons also work with the company.
King Soopers has said it is dealing with rising health care costs, plus competition from non-union chains like Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
UFCW Local 7 represents about 17,000 workers at King Soopers, Safeway and Albertsons. Safeway and Albertsons contracts also expired May 9, but Safeway and its workers have agreed to extend the contract until June 26.
Safeway is based in Pleasanton, Calif.
Albertsons LLC, based in Boise, Idaho, operates Albertsons stores in Colorado.
