King Soopers grocery workers in the Denver metro area are going back on strike this week, three years after the 2022 strike.

It could potentially impact shopping for Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day, two very busy days for grocery stores.

Thousands of workers across the Front Range overwhelmingly voted in favor of striking after contracts expired.

Meanwhile, King Soopers, owned by Kroger, is planning to keep their doors open as workers walk out by hiring temporary workers.

The union is calling on customers and their members to avoid King Soopers in support of strikers and to move pharmacy prescriptions to a competitor such as Safeway.

Here’s a rundown of what you need to know about the strike.

1. When and where are the strikes?

Picketing is scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. Thursday at unionized King Soopers stores. The union said it plans to strike for two weeks.

The first picketing lines will begin in the Denver metro area spanning from Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties. Stores in Boulder and Louisville will also be included.

It’s important to note that not all King Soopers and City Market stores are fully unionized, so impacts can vary. Some stores may only have select unionized departments such as meat and deli.

King Soopers issued a news release Wednesday saying the impacted stores will have temporary hours.

“Impacted stores will be open from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily and pharmacies at impacted locations will operate Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., (closing daily for lunch from 1-130 p.m.) and closed on Sundays.”

An exact list of impacted stores hasn’t been released by the union, but King Soopers officials said the following stores will not be affected by the strike: Bennett; Brighton; Castle Rock; Cheyenne; Colorado Springs; Confier; Erie; Firestone; Fort Collins; Greeley; Longmont; Loveland; Pueblo and Windsor.

Union leaders are asking shoppers to go to King Soopers competitors such as Safeway. 

Workers will receive a schedule of their picketing days as union president Kim Cordova told members they plan to amp up the number of stores striking over the course of the two weeks.

The union also plans to launch strikes further south along the Front Range in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, but have yet to announce any dates for those regions.

2. Why are workers striking?

As new contracts were under negotiation, union leaders alleged the grocer committed illegal unfair labor practices to hinder bargaining.

The accusations span from the grocer surveilling and interrogating union members during bargaining, threatening to discipline workers for wearing union clothing or accessories at work to executives not providing necessary company data for the union to make their own contract proposals.

The union also claims the grocer is gutting retiree health benefits and isn’t providing sufficient wage increases for workers.

On top of that, they also have concerns about staffing shortages straining employees.

3. What does King Soopers say?

King Soopers President Joe Kelley denied the allegations saying the National Labor Relations Board, which is responsible for investigating illegal labor practices, has not ruled anything yet.

He expressed frustration over the union choosing to strike a second time in three years, claiming union leaders are choosing the most extreme measure to bargain that ends up hurting customers and workers.

4. How is King Soopers preparing?

Stores will stay open for business, according to the grocer.

King Soopers is planning to hire thousands of temporary workers from non-unionized stores and out-of-state stores in the Kroger network, Kelley said. He insisted they won’t replace union workers once they return from striking.

It’s a controversial move to union members who say the practice of “scabbing,” or replacing union jobs during strikes, is meant to undermine their leverage for bargaining.

5. How is this different from 2022?

This strike could be larger than the ones launched in 2022.

Because of the timing of regional contracts lining up, the strike could expand past the Denver metro area. The 2022 strike encompassed more than 8,000 King Soopers workers.

Threats of another King Soopers strike heat up as contract expires

If or when Colorado Springs and Pueblo join in, it could total about 10,000 workers and affect 77 stores.

In 2022, the strike led to a new three-year contract creating about $170 million to $174 million in wage increases and health care benefits. Union leaders celebrated the deal as a win, though King Soopers Kelley said it ended up being worth $18 million less than their last deal.