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.
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