City Market and King Soopers union workers voted to reject the latest contract proposal from parent company Kroger and authorize union leaders to call a strike.þþMembers of the United Food Commercial Workers Local 7 voted over the past two days with 92 percent of voting members selecting to reject the latest contract proposal, according to a City Market and King Soopers spokesman. The results were announced by the union shortly after 9 p.m. Friday.þþUnion leadership will set a strike date at some point in the future. Currently, no further bargaining sessions are scheduled.þþÿThe hard working women and men of King Soopers and City Market are standing together for their families, their customers and their communities,ÿ Local 7 President Kim Cordova said via a press release. ÿWe need more full-time jobs, not just for more hours for workers who have earned it, but because you deserve the best customer service when you shop. We need first day sick pay and access to health care, not just to get better ourselves, but to ensure that the stores are fully staffed when you shop.ÿþþThe union consists of roughly 12,000 employees at 109 Kroger-owned stores, including five City Market stores in the Grand Valley.þþThe local City Markets recently posted signs that they are looking for replacement workers in the event of a work stoppage, offering $15 per hour.þþA Grand Junction City Market employee previously told The Daily Sentinel that this has not sat well with some workers as that wage is more than they are making.þþThe strike vote was called earlier this week after the most recent bargaining session ended tenuously with the two sides even disagreeing over how the talks ended. The previous contract between the two parties expired Jan. 12 and bargaining talks kicked off in December.þþSick pay has been at the center of the divide between the union and Kroger. The union wants to see employees receive paid sick leave immediately.þþCurrently, workers hired prior to 2005 do not receive paid sick time until their third consecutive missed day if they provide a doctor's note. The employees start to accrue first-day sick pay after the equivalent of 10 years of full-time employment.þþThe union has also stated that the Kroger proposal does include a pay increase for roughly half of the employees and offers decreased benefits and increased health care costs.þþKroger previously stated its latest proposal included increased wages over the next three years, no increase in health care costs and pension investments.þþÿWe proposed a good contract for our associates. Our goals, always, are to reach an agreement that provides a solid and competitive package of wages, benefits and a stable pension plan,ÿ a City Market and King Soopers spokesman said in a statement provided after the vote. ÿAt this point, the union has not called for a work stoppage. We hope they don't and are looking forward to continuing negotiations. Right now it's business as usual at our stores.ÿ
Source: www.gjsentinel.com
