DENVER (KDVR) — King Soopers filed for a temporary restraining order against members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 Tuesday claiming that they were causing problems for people trying to stop at its stores.
The complaint lists several incidents of union workers blocking entrances to stores, creating traffic issues in parking lots and “loud and aggressive conduct” across multiple King Soopers stores in the Denver metro area. The court document also mentions UFCW Local 7 members yelling at customers to shop elsewhere, that the store was closed and the food was spoiled.
A few instances said accessible spots and fire lanes were blocked, and several picketers “harassed” customers. Accusations of abusive, derogatory and racist language being yelled at customers were littered throughout the list of incidents in the court document.
The complaint also has a few situations where delivery trucks were blocked and others that involved the destruction of King Soopers property.
The company is asking the court to approve limiting the number of picketers to five or less at store locations and picketers can “not block or stand in front of entrances, shall not block or stand in front of vehicles entering or leaving Plaintiff’s facilities, and shall not in any manner impede the ingress or egress of any vehicle.”
UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova responded to the company’s move by saying the union “strongly disagrees” with the company’s “unfounded allegations” and refers to them as “bullying tactics.”
“This Company refuses to bargain. They want to stop our freedom of speech and curtail even more of the workers’ rights. We will not stand for that. We remain focused on our fight to give King Soopers/ Kroger workers the industry-leading contract that they deserve.
“We reiterate our call for Union Members to be strong and resolute on the picket lines. We will continue to fight on behalf of our members for an improved living wage, a safe workplace and place to shop, healthcare benefits for workers, and the withdrawal of concessionary proposals that undermine the dignity of Essential Workers.”
UFCW President Kim Cordova
Negotiations continue almost a week into the union members’ strike against the company due to “unfair labor practices.” Two proposals from King Soopers were rejected by the union and Cordova said not much has moved forward in the meetings.
“The truth is that we have three very clear objectives; to invest more money in our associates’ paychecks, keep groceries affordable for our customers and to maintain a sustainable future for our business,” Joe Kelley, president of King Soopers and City Market said.
“After four continuous days of negotiations, we’ve made little to no progress with Kroger/King Soopers. They still refuse to address the concerns and needs of our members, who have raised their voices on the picket lines, in the media, and around the bargaining table to demand a living wage for essential labor,” Cordova said Tuesday morning.
King Soopers rejected offers
An offer that included wage investments and signing bonuses of more than $148 million over the next three years was rejected prior to the expiration of the current contract.
The company’s “Last, Best and Final Offer” was a $170 million package that would raise wages over the next three years, including bonuses, and would invest in health care benefits “that would result in zero impact” to current premiums. That proposal was denied last week.
King Soopers has not released any information regarding the temporary restraining order the union is claiming it filed.
