Safeway workers in Castle Rock and Denver walked off the job Monday, joining employees in several other Colorado cities to strike against Safeway and Albertsons over what the union says are unfair labor practices.
Workers at the Denver store on Broadway and Mineral Avenue and the Castle Rock location at 880 S. Perry St. took part in the walkout.
After nine months of negotiations, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 rejected the latest offer from Safeway and Albertsons, saying it fails to address key demands for staffing, livable wages and the protection of workers’ health and pension benefits.
Despite a contract extension in January and a strike authorization vote late May and this month, both parties were unable to reach an agreement.
Union members in four bargaining units in Estes Park, Fountain and Pueblo, as well as the Safeway Distribution Center in Denver, started the strike at 6 a.m. Sunday, June 15.
“Safeway in Colorado remains committed to productive discussions with UFCW Local 7, and we are disappointed the union has chosen to strike some of our stores,” according to a statement provided by Heather Halpape, communications and public affairs manager with Safeway’s Denver Division, on Monday afternoon.
“We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and are negotiating in good faith to achieve a balanced agreement that rewards our associates, benefits our customers, and is sustainable for our company in the competitive grocery industry.”
Halpape’s statement continued with “allegations of unfair labor practices are without merit. Our focus remains on providing exceptional service to our customers and fostering a positive working environment for our associates. All Safeway stores in Colorado are open and ready to continue serving our communities.”
Kim Cordova, president of UFCW 7, told JS in a phone call that if the strike against Safeway and its parent company Albertsons expands to include all participating stores, it could involve roughly 7,000 workers.
This would make it the second-largest labor strike of the year after a February strike by around 10,000 King Soopers and City Market employees.
Aside from Denver and Castle Rock, union members in Boulder, Broomfield, Brighton, Evergreen, Idaho Springs, Estes Park, Fountain, Conifer Meat, Grand Junction, Vail, Steamboat Meat, Salida, Pueblo and Parker are prepared to go on strike, with more than 98% of members voting to authorize a strike, according to the union.
Stores in Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Greeley and Longmont will hold strike-authorization votes tonight and Tuesday morning, Cordova said. It has yet to be announced when workers from those locations will walk out.
A union announcement said the slow rollout is designed to allow the public time to understand the problems workers are facing, to allow Safeway/Albertsons time to understand the seriousness of the workers’ resolve and to reduce the hardship on shoppers and workers that result from a widespread strike.
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