Just as they did in early May, King Soopers employees rejected the company's latest contract offer. In a press release, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7, characterized the margin of defeat as overwhelming and urged "the corporation to return to the bargaining table and offer them a fair deal that doesn't include wage, pension, and health-care cuts." That line was followed by a (probably) canned quote from King Soopers employee Julie Gonzales: "We are ready, willing, and able to get back to the bargaining table if the corporation is willing to meet us halfway. All we're asking for is a fair deal. And we really hope they don't lock us out for asking for livable wages and a pension plan that recognizes our contribution to company profits."
This same pitch turns up in an ad that largely passed a 9News "Truth Test" yesterday. Correspondent Adam Schrager confirmed that King Soopers is currently profitable, although revenues are a bit softer than usual due to the overall economic woes (the same is true of Safeway and Albertson's, whose union staffers are also working under an expired contract) -- and King Soopers' CEO reportedly brought home $13.4 million last year. Would you like to spend that using paper or plastic?
