DENVER — On Monday, workers at more Safeway stores went on strike, demanding better pay, benefits, and staffing levels.
Employees held signs and paced in front of Safeway stores in Littleton and Castle Rock, adding to the strikes already seen in Estes Park, Fountain, Pueblo, and a Denver distribution center.
Union leaders told Denver7 the strike will continue to expand across the state until a contract is reached.
Albertsons Companies, Inc. and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7, which represents 7,000 Safeway and Albertsons employees across Colorado, have spent the past few months trying to reach an agreement on a new contract.
Last week, UFCW Local 7 delivered a 72-hour strike notice to the company after the latest negotiating session "did not generate a breakthrough." Members who already voted to strike hit the picket line on Sunday.
The Scripps News Group has been closely monitoring the negotiations between UFCW Local 7 and Safeway. Read our previous coverage below:
- Colorado Safeway employees begin limited strike
- UFCW Local 7 terminates contract extension with Safeway, gives 72-hour strike notice
- Colorado Safeway shoppers prepare for looming strike, which could begin Sunday
- Safeway workers in Colorado could go on strike as soon as Sunday; union says company has 'one shot' left
Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7, said the two parties may soon return to the bargaining table and are looking for a venue to meet.
"We have a really big negotiating committee from workers throughout the state of Colorado, so we would have to get them all back into Denver to resume negotiations," Cordova told Denver7 Monday afternoon. "[Safeway/Albertsons] continue to have really big concessions on the table. They haven't resolved the unfair labor practice charges that we have against them, so we're still far apart."
In a statement sent to Denver7, a spokesperson for Safeway/Albertsons said the company remains "committed to productive discussions" with the union, and is "disappointed" that the union has chosen to strike some stores. The statement continues to say that "allegations of unfair labor practices are without merit."
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. 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. 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.
Cordova disagreed with that claim.
"They're wrong. I mean, there's a reason why workers all over the state of Colorado have voted almost unanimously," Cordova said. "There's strike votes going on right now."
Strike authorization votes were held on Monday afternoon in Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Longmont. Cordova said those votes would be tallied on Tuesday.
Cordova said the failed merger between Albertsons and Kroger is connected to the conditions that led to the strike.
"They were spending a lot of money to try to have this merger that nobody else wanted approved, and workers and the consumer have been paying for this failed attempt to merge, and that continues today," Cordova said. "Customers are tired of waiting in long lines, being forced to go through self-checkout, not having staff in the stores to find product. So, for the high price of groceries, the consumer is not getting what they're paying for. And that is the customer service, because these companies will not staff these stores."
One of the employees on strike is Taylor Vonstein, who has worked for Safeway for the past five years as a head clerk. He called the job gratifying but stressful.
"We were told that we were going to hire new people. I was told that for a month, two months, three months. Six months passed, eight months passed, they kept saying, 'We're hiring new people,'" Vonstein said. "With the rushes we get later on in the afternoon, I mean, the amount of product that we couldn't get to the shelf because I'm a one-man team, it was so stressful."
Vonstein said the goal of the strike is to allow customers and employees to interact and learn about what the workers would like to see change. He's prepared to strike for "as long as needed."
Complicating matters for shoppers is the chance that workers at King Soopers stores could also go on strike again soon. A previous strike ended in February with an agreement to continue negotiations over a 100-day period. That period expired last week with no agreement reached.
