UFCW Extends Contract Deadlines At Three Big Colorado Grocery Chains

http://www.laborradio.org/node/11423

Supermarket workers at three big chains in Colorado are waiting to see if an extension on the contract deadline will produce an agreement on a new contract. Jesse Russell reports.

The United Food and Commercial Workers representing workers at grocery stores in Colorado, has agreed to extend current contracts until midnight on July 18. The union is in negotiations with the state’s three largest supermarket chains Safeway, Albertson’s, and King Soopers. On Friday the UFCW Local 7 and Safeway announced they would be returning to contract negotiations on July 14 after workers rejected the supermarkets latest contract offer last week. The Safeway workers voted in favor of authorizing a strike if they don’t see an improvement in wage and pensions. King Sooper workers rejected a contract offer two weeks ago. Contracts at the three chains were set to expire on May 9. King Soopers has an agreement with Safeway that if workers at one chain go on strike, the other chain can retaliate by locking out its workers. Complaints filed by the union to the National Labor Relations Board accusing the two chains of offering to hire temporary workers at wages higher than what current employees are paid have been dismissed. The union represents 17,000 workers at the three chains.