DENVER — A tentative deal has been reached between King Soopers and the union that represents about 12,000 grocery workers across Colorado, according to a spokesperson for the grocery chain.
The news comes after two days of lengthy negotiations over the weekend and continued into early Monday morning.
The two sides began the latest bargaining session at 9 a.m. Sunday morning, according to a Facebook post from the union. They continued all night until a breakthrough was announced just before 9 a.m. Monday.
“We are deeply grateful for the strength of our members, the support of our customers, and the help of the communities we work in," said Kim Cordova, the president of the UFCW Local 7. "Today’s deal represents an important investment in King Soopers and City Market workers and strengthens our ability to continue providing shoppers with the high-quality customer service they deserve. This final offer was the result of more than 37 straight hours of bargaining this weekend and would not have been possible without the courage and strength of our members."
In a Facebook post, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 said details about a statewide vote on the proposal would be posted soon.
Union members voted March 15 to authorize a strike. The vote allows union leaders to call for a strike at any time. The current contract expired Jan. 12, and negotiations have been going on since mid-December, the union said. The biggest sticking points were wage increases and sick pay.
“King Soopers/City Market and UFCW Local 7 have reached a tentative agreement," King Soopers said in a statement. "This is good news for our associates, customers and communities."
The last public offer from King Soopers was for $117.5 million in wages, health care and pensions over the duration of the three-year contract.
The more than 12,000 workers represented by UFCW Local 7 work at 109 King Soopers and City Market stores in Colorado. The last workers strike was in 1996, according to King Soopers.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Local stories from 9NEWS