As the clock ticks closer to the deadline, labor negotiations between UFCW Local 7 and King Soopers continue to secure a new contract for more than 10,000 employees across Colorado. The current contract is slated to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, putting pressure on both parties to resolve. According to Denver7, the talks have been ongoing for the second day, with UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova at the helm of the discussions.
The stakes of the negotiations are further heightened by the impending expiration of other regional contracts in the metro Denver area, which are set to terminate at midnight Thursday. Cordova said, as per The Denver Gazette, "We're very far apart right now," cautioning that the union is prepared to quickly schedule strike votes if an agreement is not reached.
Amid these high-tension talks, an incident occurred involving the police being called on a union representative at King Soopers store 40 in Lakewood. The union accused management of actions counter to their alleged promise of openness and transparency, stating on Facebook at about 9 p.m. on Thursday, “This behavior is contrary to the Company’s promise of being ‘open and transparent’ during contract negotiations,” as reported by KDVR, who also noted the union's request for a response from UFCW Local 7 had not been immediately answered.
