Grocery workers rejected a revised management offer last week,
making a strike more likely to begin Saturday unless a deal is
hammered out before then.
In Douglas County, a grocery strike would affect the nine King
Soopers, five Safeways and one Albertsons, and about 1,500
employees.
The metro area has 72 King Soopers, 56 Safeways and 35
Albertsons. The Union of Food and Commercial Workers Local 7
represents some 17,500 employees.
In the event of a strike, the stores would remain open for
business as usual, although there will be groups of union workers
posted outside the stores with signs during store hours.
Picket lines would be largely “informational” and politely
encourage customers not to shop in the store out of respect for the
union workers’ cause, said union spokesman Dave Minshall
Off-work union employees would be replaced by managers and
temporary employees. Hours would likely be shorter, possibly from 7
a.m. to 11 p.m., said Pete Webb, a spokesman for the grocery
chains.
The crux of the standoff between Safeway, Kroger (which owns
King Soopers) and Albertsons is a proposal workers contribute to
their health insurance coverage and a second-tier compensation plan
for new hires.
The grocery chains are asking workers to contribute $5-$15 per
week for health insurance, as well as absorb future increases in
health costs.
The stores are not offering significant pay increases and want a
two-tier wage system under which new employees pay more for health
insurance and accept lower wages.
Union workers are fighting to maintain their existing health
plan with 100 percent coverage of physician, vision and dental
fees, excluding co-pays.
Management contribution to the plan stands at $780 per month per
worker. Negotiations reached a crisis point on Sept. 11, when union
workers rejected the proposed contract and authorized a possible
strike.
The contract originally expired Sept. 12, but the parties agreed
to an extension until Saturday.
Management presented a new offer last week that included the
following points as outlined in a King Soopers statement:
n Comprehensive health care benefits for full and part-time
employees.
n 6 percent cap on annual increases in employer contribution to
health insurance.
n Different wage rates for current and new employees.
n Elimination of new-hire wage rates.
n A lump sum ratification bonus for clerks and employees with a
year of service.
n Bonuses for full- and part-time employees based on hours
worked during the year.
The same day the new contract was tendered, workers unanimously
rejected the proposal.
A statement from the union says, “Corporate negotiators called
their proposal an updated offer, but it still calls for drastic
cuts in health care for working families and still slashes pay for
new employees.”
The union also objects to a provision that took away workers’
control of the health plan in favor of a new plan administrated by
the companies.
“There’s still a last, best and final offer to be presented,”
Webb said. “But it’s going to look very much like what they turned
down yesterday. Our opinion is the union still doesn’t get it.
There needs to be a change in health care to compete more
effectively and control our costs. It’s costing us too much. It’s a
47 percent increase in health cost in 2003 over 2002.”
Supermarkets in Douglas County
King Soopers (All union except as noted)
100 Founders Parkway, Castle Rock (non-union except for
Rx)
7284 Lagae Road, Castle Rock (non-union except for Rx)
12959 South Parker Road, Parker (non-union except for Rx, meat,
seafood and deli)
17031 Lincoln Ave., Parker (non-union except for Rx, meat,
seafood and deli)
17761 Cottonwood Drive, Parker (non-union except for Rx, meat,
seafood and deli)
8673 S. Quebec, Park Meadows
4000 Red Cedar Drive, Highlands Ranch
9551 S. University Blvd., Highlands Ranch
2205 Wildcat Reserve Pkwy., Highlands Ranch
Safeway (All union except as noted)
880 S. Perry St., Castle Rock
560 Castle Pines Pkwy, Castle Rock (mostly non-union except meat
and deli)
11051 S. Parker Road, Parker
9255 S. Broadway, Highlands Ranch
9229 E. Lincoln Ave., Littleton
Albertsons
9751 S. Parker Road, Parker
Contact Vicky Gits at vgits@ccnewspapers.net.