Members of United Food and Commercial Workers union Local 7 have been working without a contract since their 2004 agreement expired May 30. Wages, benefits and other terms of that contract remain in place.
"We are asking members whether to continue negotiations based on the company's latest offer, which includes both wage and pension cuts," said Laura Chapin, a Local 7 spokeswoman. "We want workers to be able to make a fair decision."
Local 7 members rejected a Safeway contract offer and authorized a strike in balloting May 8 and 9, but recently agreed to extend their agreement with that company until June 26 as negotiations continue.
King Soopers and Safeway have agreed to lock out their unionized workers if the union goes on strike against the other company, but the pact doesn't stop either company from reaching a settlement with the union independent of the other.
The latest offer from King Soopers includes 25-cents-an-hour raises for the highest-paid workers and 10-cents-an-hour raises for the lowest-paid workers in each year of agreement. It also includes a nearly $35 million increase in the company's contributions to an underfunded pension plan and new preventive health care benefits for all Local 7 members, and it extends health care coverage to more workers.
The proposal also would raise the minimum retirement age for Local 7 members from 50 to 55 and would end a $200-a-month supplemental payment for retirees age 60 to 62. The offer also would cut future pension benefits by up to 60 percent.
Local 7 represents 17,000 workers at Albertsons and the two other chains. In the Springs, it has about 1,000 members in 10 King Soopers stores, 780 members at 13 Safeway stores as well as workers at the Albertsons store at 422 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.
