Thousands of workers at supermarket operator Kroger Co. went on strike in Denver, the latest push by employees who said they are seeking higher wages, more benefits and safer workplaces.
About 8,400 unionized workers at Kroger’s
KR,
-2.83%
King Soopers stores in Denver walked off the job at 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday, according to Kroger and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, which represents King Sooper workers in Colorado. The strike affects 87 of 151 King Soopers locations.
Kroger said Wednesday that its stores will remain open and that it is “reckless and self-serving” for the union to strike. The supermarket operator said that it had hired temporary workers to help staff stores and that employees from other parts of the country had traveled to fill in. (Read more about strikes by Kellogg and Deere workers.)
Union officials representing Kroger workers declined comment on Wednesday. They have previously said they want to secure a new contract with better wages, health and retirement benefits, and to ensure a safer work environment for employees at a time when Kroger is generating higher profits. They said Tuesday that going on strike is the only way to get fairer terms, after the company has offered unsatisfactory proposals throughout the past few months of negotiations.
An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.
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