Safeway workers in Colorado reached an agreement with Albertsons on Saturday, ending a two-week strike after local union leaders met with Safeway and its parent company on July 4.
The two sides held an all-day bargaining session on Friday, according to a post on the union's Facebook page. Early Saturday morning, it posted the tentative agreement.
"Attention UFCW Local 7 Safeway/Albertsons members: We have reached a fully recommended tentative agreement! The strike is over," the post said. The union said the agreement, which must be ratified by union membership, included fully funded healthcare benefits, fully funded pension benefits for the cycle of the contract, "strong" wage increases and several other provisions. No date has been set for the ratification vote.
Safeway workers in Colorado continued to picket outside of stores on strike on the Fourth.
The Safeway off of Corona Street in Denver had around 20 picketers at 10 a.m. when the negotiations started. They were lined up outside of the building, wearing or holding signs explaining the strike. As few customers trickled in and out of the store, strikers asked people to shop somewhere else.
As of Wednesday morning, employees from 43 stores and one distribution center in Denver walked off the job to protest what the union calls unfair labor practices. Workers participated in the strike to fix understaffing and get guarantees that health and pension benefits will be fully funded, according to The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7.
The union had been negotiating for a new contract with Safeway andAlbertsons since the old one expired in January.
The 4th of July talk discussion took place at the DoubleTree hotel in Downtown Denver, according to a statement on the union’s Facebook page. The union posted into the late evening that it was still at the bargaining table.
The strike started nearly two weeks ago with just six stores and a distribution center in Denver. In a statement at the time, the union said it was starting small to “allow time for the public to understand the problems these workers are facing, allow Safeway/Albertsons time to understand the seriousness of the workers’ resolve, and at the same time reduce the hardship on shoppers and workers alike that result from a wide-spread strike.”
The union was also negotiating with King Soopers and City Market and parent Kroger. They reached a tentative deal on Thursday afternoon after 46 hours of negotiations, according to the union. The union, which fully supports the three-year contract, says they came to an agreement on sticking points that included health care benefits and pensions.
Safeway, owned by Albertsons, and Kroger-owned King Soopers are the two biggest grocery chains in Colorado, not including Walmart. Kroger owns 148 King Soopers and City Market stores, while Albertsons operates 105 Safeway and Albertsons locations.
