Conflicting reports highlight continued tensions between unions, grocery corporations
The retail grocery landscape in Colorado, including Pueblo, has been fraught with tension this year, highlighted by an 11-day strike involving United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, a union representing grocery workers in Colorado and Wyoming. The union has since filed a lawsuit against King Soopers, alleging the grocery chain violated an agreement that ended the strike.
Now this week, Economic Roundtable released a report titled "Bullies at the Table, Consequences of Understaffing by Kroger (which owns King Soopers and City Market stores) and Albertsons (which owns Albertsons and Safeway stores)." On the same day, King Soopers released a report on its website titled "The Plain Truth About Wages, Staffing and Benefits."
The nonprofit Economic Roundtable research organization analyzes economic, social, and environmental conditions to provide "constructive policy research assistance to public sector agencies," according to its website. The Economic Roundtable's research was underwritten by United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 7, 324, 770, and 3000, according to a union official.
The roundtable report indicates about 33% of grocery workers surveyed said they spend 50% of their monthly wages on rent.
"Wages for nonsupervisory grocery workers throughout the United States peaked at $18.55 in 2003 (in 2024 dollars) and have decreased 5% since then. Grocery workers get an average of only 28.8 hours of work a week," according to the report.
"This together with low wages results in poverty earnings. The adult partners of grocery workers need to earn 79% more than the partner working in a grocery job in order for a four-person family to be able to pay for their basic needs," according to the report.
The King Soopers report indicates the grocery chain has offered a $4-per-hour wage increase that will bring grocery worker salaries to "$26 an hour by 2028 for most clerk roles in King Soopers."
"We are committed to improving associates' wages and benefits while keeping prices affordable for customers," said Jessica Trowbridge, who works in corporate affairs for King Soopers and City Market.
The roundtable report goes on to state, "During the five-year period between 2018 and 2022, Kroger and Albertsons took a combined $15.8 billion in cash out of their businesses and sent it to shareholders in the form of stock dividends and buybacks. As a result, capital expenditures for stores have declined as a share of sales and reduced the capacity of these companies to sustain operations into the future."
The grocery corporations claim they are working to survive the retail landscape.
"Unrealistic demands by UFCW do not reflect today's competitive retail landscape and will jeopardize the long-term sustainability of unionized businesses and advance non-union competitors," Trowbridge said.
The roundtable report indicates customers experience "long lines, high prices and limited availability of popular items."
The report revealed 70% of grocery workers surveyed in Colorado, California and Washington said product sits in stores' backrooms because there is not enough staff to stock the shelves.
"We intentionally staff our stores to keep them running smoothly and create an outstanding customer experience. Our decisions are data-driven to balance workload, schedules and customer service," Trowbridge told the Chieftain in an email.
The Chieftain reached out to the Albertsons public affairs office for comment but did not receive a response by deadline.
To read the full Economic Roundtable report, go to economicrt.org. To read the full King Soopers report, visit kingsooperscba.com.
More: Union sues King Soopers, claims grocery giant violated strike-ending agreement
Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via X at x.com/tracywumps. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Conflicting reports show tensions between unions, grocery corporations
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