DENVER—King Soopers workers along Colorado’s Front Range have overwhelmingly rejected the grocery chain’s five-year contract offer.
Union officials said Wednesday that more than 90 percent of the workers in the Denver area, Colorado Springs, Longmont, Boulder and Pueblo voted against the offer and for resuming negotiations. Employees in the store’s meat departments in Greeley and Fort Collins also voted.
Workers voted Monday through Wednesday.
“The corporation is making millions of dollars in this economy, and they need to offer a fair deal that recognizes our contributions to those profits and how much we take care of our customers,” said Julie Gonzalez, a produce clerk for King Soopers.
The contract with workers represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7 expired May 9. The union and King Soopers, part of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., disagree on raises, pension benefits and a two-tier system that offers fewer benefits to newer employees.
King Soopers has said it is dealing with rising health care costs, plus competition from nonunion chains like Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
“Of course we’re disappointed in the outcome, but we look forward to getting back to the negotiating table and we’re committed to resolving this contract as quickly as possible,” King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said Wednesday night.
Union members in western Colorado were set to vote Thursday and Friday.
The two sides will meet in a federal courtroom in Denver rather than the negotiating table Thursday. The grocer has asked a federal judge to block the union from sending representatives to talk to customers and employees on the sales floor.
The union has said it has a right and duty to talk with members about what they’re voting on and that the National Labor Relations Board, not the court, should handle the dispute.
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.
