In a nearly unanimous vote, King Soopers employees in the Denver metro area supported going on strike Sunday amid ongoing contract negotiations, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 labor union.

After the union held three votes Sunday, 98% of retail employees and 97% of meat employees from Denver King Soopers stores preauthorized the strike, the labor union said. In addition, 100% of meat employees in Parker, meat employees in Boulder and meat and retail employees in Broomfield voted to strike.

King Soopers and the labor union’s 17,000 employees are in the middle of a heated contract dispute, with the existing contract set to expire on Saturday. Around 58% of King Soopers employees are members of the Local 7 union.

On Wednesday, King Soopers proposed to increase union worker wages $145 million over the next four years, saying the offer would increase hourly wages for 75% of employees to more than $18 and more than half would earn more than $20 an hour.

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“This offer adds to our associates’ paychecks, while providing them with premium health care coverage and a company funded pension – which many of our competitors do not offer,” Joe Kelley, president of King Soopers and City Market, said in a news release.

However, the labor union rejected the offer, saying union employees would have to have higher health care premiums and reduced benefits to receive the wage increase, as well as work more hours to receive health care coverage and accept limits on their ability to earn overtime.

In addition, the labor union filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday, alleging that King Soopers violated its contract by paying third-party contractors higher rates to stock shelves. King Soopers has denied the alleged contract violations and said it is “disappointed” that the union filed the lawsuit.

“Local 7 will not rest until we secure a contract that respects, protects and pays these essential grocery workers,” Local 7 President Kim Cordova said. “King Soopers and its leadership continue to neglect and ignore the voices of the union and its employees.” 

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Cordova said the labor union had no choice but to enter the pre-strike vote to assure that King Soopers understands the importance of giving its workers what they deserve.

The labor union is asking for a $6 an hour pay increase for King Soopers and City Market employees.

Workers who choose to strike will be paid $160 per day for picketing full-time and $80 per day for picketing part-time, according to the labor union. Workers can also get $100 per week for refusing to cross the picket line, even if they don’t picket themselves.

Additional votes on the strike were scheduled in Colorado Springs on Monday. The labor union said the potential start and length of the strike would be announced at a later date.

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