A two-week strike at 77 King Soopers grocery stores in Colorado kicked off on February 6, with the union representing 10,000 workers claiming that their members were illegally interrogated about their ongoing collective bargaining negotiations. 

According to a release from United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local 7, the strike will include stores in the Kroger-owned grocery chain in six counties. Negotiations on a new collective bargaining deal date back to October 2024, with the union's previous deal having expired in January 2025. UFCW alleges that since those talks started, their employers have failed to respond to requests for data on pricing and staffing, and that workers were disciplined for wearing union clothing and buttons on the job. The union also accused King Soopers of attempting to drain $8 million in retirement health benefit funds to pay for wage increases. 

"They have, and continue to, break the law and are trying to force us to accept a new contract that takes us backward," said King Soopers worker Connor Hall. "Meanwhile we have real problems with low staffing, and low wages that make the jobs so bad that many of us can’t even afford to shop where we work.”

In a statement to The Guardian, King Soopers president Joe Kelley called on the union to "reconsider their approach." 

"It is time to put aside their unreasonable demands, false rhetoric and headline-seeking tactics, and work towards a fair and timely resolution that increases associates' pay while keeping groceries affordable,” Kelley said.