DENVER — Denver7 spoke with several Safeway shoppers ahead of a looming employee strike, which could begin as early as Sunday.
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 represents 7,000 Safeway/ Albertsons employees across Colorado. The union and the company have spent the past few months working to reach an agreement on wages, staffing levels and benefits.
In a release, the union said a negotiating session Wednesday "did not generate a breakthrough," so leaders decided to give the company a 72-hour strike notice. UFCW Local 7 members who have already voted to strike could begin as early as Sunday.
Union leaders said they did make a final offer to the company to avoid a strike. That officer will expire at 5 p.m. on Friday.
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UFCW Local 7 terminates contract extension with Safeway, gives strike notice
Denver7 reached out to UFCW Local 7 president Kim Cordova multiple times Thursday for a comment and interview, but did not hear back as of the publication of this article. A different representative with the union told Denver7 that out of the 81 union Safeway stores in Colorado, approximately 45 could strike.
For shoppers like LaVette Noel, the potential for a strike at her local Safeway is a massive blow.
"My feelings are hurt because I like Safeways," Noel said. "You know, King Soopers, Safeway, I choose Safeways right now in my life."
Noel told Denver7 she visits the Safeway location in Denver's Five Points neighborhood multiple times a week. She said news of the impending strike gives her major pause over continuing to shop there.
"I want them to get whatever they're asking for or want because they work hard for their money, and I think they deserve whatever they're asking for," Noel said of Safeway employees.
Chris Sharits is also a loyal Safeway shopper. He often picks up DoorDash grocery store orders from the Five Points location.
"I get a lot of these, so, you know, almost 3,000 shopping orders of my 13,700 some lifetime deliveries, which I started during the shutdown," Sharits said. "If this store is on strike, I won't pass the strike. I won't go over the strikers."
A spokesperson for Safeway/ Albertsons declined an interview but did offer a statement, which states, "We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, good for our customers, and allows our company to remain competitive."
While shoppers understand what's happening, they told Denver7 they are not happy with what's possibly to come.
"That's just the way I'll handle it is I just won't take the orders," Sharits said.
