Posts tagged Colorado
Workers in climate change and clean energy-related jobs make new push to unionize in Colorado
February 19, 2025 // Organizers said there is always pus back when trying to organize. Right now, there is a debate at the Colorado state legislation over a proposal to lower the threshold to negotiate and bargain. The City of Denver, that’s been a driving force behind a lot of green jobs, said top priorities including making sure people can make a career out of this industry, while providing a safe and equitable work place.
Colorado King Soopers and Union reach deal to end strikes, resume negotiations
February 19, 2025 // On Monday night, UFCW Local 7 said a “return-to-work” settlement was secured for all striking workers. According to UFCW Local 7, the settlement includes an agreement that King Soopers cannot implement an offer for at least 100 days and will not lock workers out during this time.
Fourth Fred Meyer Grocery Employee Hits UFCW Union with Federal Charges
February 6, 2025 // Portland-area Fred Meyer grocery store employee Robert Wendelschafer has filed federal charges against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 555. The charges state that union officials broke federal law by ignoring his request to resign union membership during a union strike and are unlawfully retaliating against the employee by demanding nearly $1000 from him because he exercised his right to rebuff union boss strike orders and go to work. Robert Wendelschafer has joined co-workers Sandra Harbison, Coyesca Vasquez, and Reegin Schaffer in filing charges against the UFCW with National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Region 19 with free legal aid from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
Thousands of Denver-area King Soopers grocery store workers go on strike
February 6, 2025 // UFCW Local 7 members voted by 96% last week to authorize the unfair labor practices strike. King Soopers, a chain owned by Kroger, with 121 stores in Colorado and Wyoming, has been negotiating a new contract since October. The current contract expired in January.
Unionized Grocery Workers Are a Sleeping Giant
February 5, 2025 // A coalition of UFCW Locals 7, 324, 770, and 3000 helped defeat the largest proposed grocery merger in US history between Kroger and Albertsons. Now these locals are collaborating on contract negotiations and sending support to the King Soopers strike in Colorado
How the Colorado Labor Peace Act came to be and why unions want so desperately to get rid of it
February 3, 2025 // The Colorado Labor Peace Act requires a 75% vote of approval before a union can even negotiate with an employer over imposing union security. Senate Bill 5 would remove the union security vote requirement altogether. Senate Bill 5 likely has enough Democratic support to pass the state legislature, but Gov. Jared Polis has indicated he won’t sign it into law as is. And the Colorado business community is pushing back on the proposal, too.
Colorado ski unions emboldened after ski patroller strike in Utah
January 29, 2025 // Arapahoe Basin patrollers also have voted to unionize, while Keystone patrollers are working through their own contract negotiations right now. Breckenridge patroller contracts are up for negotiation this April, Dineen said. While not explicitly in connection with this CBS New Colorado story, Keystone's vice president provided a statement during their contract negotiations with patrollers.
COLORADO: Auto association lays out 2025 legislative concerns, including unionization
January 8, 2025 // The association advocates on behalf of the automotive retail industry throughout the state, including its 260 member dealerships. In the 2025 legislative session, which begins on Wednesday, Jan. 8, the association will be closely monitoring efforts by the Colorado General Assembly to reform the unionization process. While the state currently has a two-step election process to form a union, proposed legislation will remove the second step. This will make it easier for workers to unionize.
COLORADO: District 11 Board of Education votes to dissolve teachers’ master agreement
January 6, 2025 // District 11 Board of Education voted to dissolve the teachers’ master agreement. The decades-old master agreement was a contract that outlined working conditions, salaries and benefits for certified staff.
VIDEO: King Soopers, union agree to two-week contract extension
January 5, 2025 // “Workers are tired. They have been so overworked and really disregarded through this whole attempted merger that failed,” said Cordova. King Soopers representatives said they are prioritizing their commitment to invest in their associates with an improved wage offer, which shows that top-rate clerks would receive a 5.41% increase during their first year of the contract. A company spokesperson said their latest negotiation offer also removed a proposal to reset hours in the wage scale, which would allow employees to keep their hours within their progression as they move over.