Ten thousand workers at King Soopers grocery stores in Colorado are on strike due to unfair labor practices. The workers, part of the United Food and Commercial Workers local 7 union, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the strike after their contract expired. The union accuses Kroger-owned King Soopers of violating labor laws by intimidating workers, cutting benefits, and not sharing important information. This strike follows a previous one in 2022 that led to a lawsuit against Kroger and Albertsons for colluding to undermine the workers’ leverage.
Chris Lacey, a service manager at King Soopers, expressed concerns about understaffing and unfair treatment of workers wearing union symbols. The union is demanding better pay and working conditions for employees and wants the company to address these issues. However, King Soopers has denied the allegations and emphasized their commitment to staffing. The strike is expected to last two weeks to bring attention to the workers’ concerns and give the company a chance to respond.
Vocabulary List:
- Strike /straɪk/ (noun): A work stoppage organized by a group of employees to gain concessions from their employer.
- Unfair /ʌnˈfɛr/ (adjective): Not based on or behaving according to the principles of equality and justice.
- Allegations /ˌæl.ɪˈɡeɪ.ʃənz/ (noun): Claims or assertions that someone has done something illegal or wrong typically without proof.
- Intimidating /ɪnˈtɪm.ɪ.deɪ.tɪŋ/ (adjective): Making someone feel afraid or nervous.
- Benefits /ˈbɛnɪfɪts/ (noun): Advantages or profits gained from something.
- Demands /dɪˈmændz/ (noun): Insistent requests or claims made by a person or group.
How much do you know?
Which grocery stores are experiencing a strike with ten thousand workers?
Which union are the workers at King Soopers part of?
What are the workers accusing Kroger-owned King Soopers of violating?
What is the strike demanding for better pay and working conditions for employees at King Soopers?
What was the workers' response to King Soopers' commitment to staffing?
For how long is the strike at King Soopers expected to last?
The workers at King Soopers voted against the strike.
Chris Lacey is a service manager at King Soopers.
The previous strike in 2022 was against Kroger and Walmart.
The union accuses King Soopers of intimidating workers.
King Soopers has acknowledged the unfair treatment of workers.
The lawsuit against Kroger and Albertsons in 2022 involved antitrust violations.
Chris Lacey expressed concerns about and unfair treatment of workers wearing union symbols.
The union is demanding better pay and working conditions for employees at King Soopers to address these .
The strike is expected to last for to bring attention to the workers' concerns.
The previous strike in 2022 led to a lawsuit against Kroger and Albertsons for colluding to undermine the workers' .
King Soopers has denied the allegations and emphasized their commitment to .
