DENVER, Co.—Starting on Thursday, approximately 10,000 unionized grocery store workers at 77 King Soopers locations across Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties, as well as in Boulder and Louisville, will walk off the job in an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike.
The decision comes after workers, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7, voted overwhelmingly—96% in favor—to authorize the strike. The remarkable level of unity among workers underscores the urgency of their demands and the widespread support for the strike among the rank-and-file.
At the heart of the dispute is a staffing crisis that has plagued King Soopers stores for years. Despite a temporary surge in staffing during the pandemic, Kroger, the parent company of King Soopers, has systematically cut staffing levels as the pandemic slowed down.
This staffing cutback coincided with rising prices for customers and record-breaking profits for the company. Workers argue that adequate staffing is essential not only for their safety and well-being, but also for providing quality service to customers. Instead of investing in safer stores and improving the customer experience, Kroger announced a $7.5 billion stock buyback program, prioritizing Wall Street and executive payouts over its own workers and customers.
The Local 7 rank-and-file union bargaining committee has proposed fair staffing and scheduling solutions, backed by hard data showing that understaffing has hurt sales and that improved staffing levels increase revenue. However, Kroger has refused to address these proposals in good faith, leaving workers with no choice but to escalate their fight.
According to Local 7, the two-week strike is intended to pressure King Soopers to address the workers’ demands and for them to cease their union-busting. Workers hope the strike will draw public attention to the issues they face and force the company to come to the table and negotiate a fair contract.
Months-long battle escalates
The strike is an escalation in a months-long contract battle between the workers and Kroger. Negotiations began in October 2024, but workers say the grocery giant has engaged in a pattern of unlawful union-busting and bad-faith bargaining, including refusing to provide critical information needed for bargaining, intimidating union members, and attempting to gut retiree health benefits.
UFCW Local 7 has filed multiple ULP charges against King Soopers with the National Labor Relations Board, citing:
- Illegal Interrogation and Surveillance: The company has interrogated union members about bargaining discussions and surveilled workers engaging in protected union activities.
- Withholding Critical Information: King Soopers has refused to provide sales and staffing data necessary for the union to formulate proposals that are hindering negotiations.
- Retaliation Against Union Activity: Workers have been threatened with discipline and sent home for wearing union attire or buttons—a clear violation of their protected labor rights.
- Targeting Retiree Benefits: The company has insisted on cutting $8 million from retiree health benefits to fund wage increases for current employees, a move the union describes as “predatory and unjust.”
“These are serious charges against Kroger-owned King Soopers. They have, and continue to, break the law and are trying to force us to accept a new contract that takes us backward. That’s not going to happen,” said Connor Hall, a deli clerk at King Soopers in Boulder and a member of the Local 7 bargaining team.
The company is already repeating what it did in the 2022 strike: hiring scab workers from a temporary staffing service to break the strike. The temporary workers are being flown in, mostly from the Southeastern region, given hotel rooms, and paid more than the union workers who run the stores, according to the union.
Attempting to cut leverage
“This shameful practice is an attempt to undercut your leverage…and the union has no idea whether these workers are safe to work around,” Local 7 said in a release obtained by People’s World. “One thing we do know is that Kroger is providing these workers with far more shoulder-to-shoulder training than they provide a new hire who works with you in your stores.”
The staffing crisis has led to bare shelves, long lines, and overworked staff who are often expected to perform the duties of two or three people. Despite record profits and stock buybacks for Kroger and its shareholders, workers have not seen meaningful improvements in wages or working conditions.
In 2022, a similar strike by Local 7 led to a lawsuit by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who accused the company of entering into an illegal “no-poach” agreement with Albertsons to undermine striking workers. UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova, who led the 2022 strike, is once again leading the second round of the ongoing battle.
“This strike is about holding one of the largest corporations in America accountable when they break the law and cause harm to workers and our customers,” Cordova said. “We are holding this strike for a two-week period to allow everyone to understand our concerns and give the employer time to right their wrong.”
The strike authorization votes demonstrated the remarkable unity among the grocery workers. In addition to the 96% approval in the Denver-area bargaining units, workers in Colorado Springs voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, with 96% of retail workers and 98% of meat department workers in favor.
Local 7’s fight has also garnered unprecedented support from other UFCW locals across the country. Key Western states locals, including Local 3000 in Washington state and Locals 770 and 324 in Southern California, have joined Local 7 at the bargaining table from the beginning.
These same locals were instrumental in forming a coalition to defeat the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger, and they are now sending members and staff to Colorado to help win this strike. This level of solidarity is rare in the UFCW and signals a growing movement against Kroger’s exploitative practices.
“We are tired of watching the Company gouge our customers because of chronic understaffing in the stores, while disrespecting the workers who stay despite the hostile labor conditions,” said David Burciago, a 44-year union member and King Soopers employee in Colorado Springs.
For now, the ball is in King Soopers’ court. Will the company heed the calls of its workers and customers, or will it continue down a path of confrontation? One thing is clear: the workers of UFCW Local 7 are prepared to fight for their rights, their dignity, and a fair contract.
With the support of their fellow union members across the country, they may be poised to win a victory that could ripple across the entire grocery industry.
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