The leaders of the striking workers and King Soopers struck a deal to end the picket at midnight on Monday, with both parties agreeing to a “100-day period of labor peace,” as they hunker down to negotiate a new contract.

The deal means the strike, which began Feb. 6 and was scheduled to last two weeks, ended several days earlier. 

The agreement between UFCW Local 7 and Kroger includes returning to the bargaining table with the condition that Kroger does not implement any offers for a minimum of 100 days and will not lock out workers.

“This will give us the time to ensure we get what we need to make a staffing proposal and take action to protect our retirees,” the union said in a news release.

5 things to know about the King Soopers strike

The deal also ensures workers won’t lose their healthcare in April, the announcement said. King Soopers earlier said the striking workers ran the risk of losing health coverage starting in April, since they might not have accrued enough work hours in February to be eligible for healthcare contributions.

The union also said King Soopers agreed that its offer made on Jan.16 is no longer the “last, best and final” offer and that both sides are now working to identify dates to return to the bargaining table and to spend the next 100 days “focusing on trying to reach an agreement.”

“We have taken a big step forward and ensured that Kroger knows that staffing is a key concern to workers and customers alike,” UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova said in a statement.

In a news release, King Soopers President Joe Kelley said the deal reached just before midnight reflects the grocer’s “deep appreciation for its hardworking associates and unwavering commitment to serving local families with fresh, affordable groceries.”

The focus now, he said, is “reaching a fair agreement that honors their hard work while ensuring we continue to provide fresh, affordable groceries for the families who rely on us.”

“Our associates are more than just employees — they are the heart of King Soopers, and we recognize the challenges they have faced,” he said. “Securing this agreement was about restoring certainty, not just for our business, but for the people who make it possible.”

On Saturday, the union had rejected an offer from the grocer to start negotiations and to not picket while talks are ongoing. In its counteroffer, the union asked the company to provide proprietary data and make several concessions in exchange for dismantling the picket lines and returning to work while negotiations take place.

That exchange of data notably absent in the deal secured on Monday. 

The flurry of moves and counter-moves over the weekend had offered glimpses into the leverage both sides held as the picketing entered a second week. At the outset, both sides maintained they are committed to ending the conflict. They also agreed that time is of the essence.

Yet both sides also appeared to position time as giving their side the advantage. In pushing to get the union to the negotiating table, King Soopers said workers might lose health coverage starting in April. The union, on the other hand, publicly said it is prepared to extend the strike, which would have cost the grocer, as its affected stores would have reduced operating hours. The bigger expense, however, would have come in the form of paying for temporary workers to fill jobs for an extended period.

A company official earlier said hiring temporary workers is costly, as the company also has to cover travel and hotel lodging.

The grocer had hinted that employees may begin losing health coverage in April if a deal isn’t reached soon and it was exploring “other potentially available options” if the union rejected the latest request to negotiate and reach an agreement.

The union and King Soopers had been at a standstill over contract negotiations since January. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 called for a two-week strike starting in the metro Denver area Feb. 6 against the Colorado grocery brand operated by Kroger. It expanded to two stores in Pueblo, and workers in Colorado Springs could join the strike at anytime.

The union had called its action an unfair labor practice strike, defined by the National Labor Relations Board as protests against illegal practices committed by employers on union members. It came with stronger legal protections for striking workers, such as not allowing companies to fire workers for walking out.

King Soopers said the union’s unfair labor practices claims are “unfounded.” The grocer also filed an unfair labor practice charge against the union in December for not putting forth a wage proposal and “forcing the company to bargain against themselves.”

In its Saturday counteroffer, the union had asked for datasets — the union didn’t say what exactly but disclosed it is proprietary and deals with sales information.

The union said that, upon receiving the information it was seeking from the grocer and execution of its offer, it would “pull down all picket lines” within a few hours.

Luige del Puerto contributed to this article.