Union workers file lawsuit against King Soopers and Safeway over alleged actions during 2022 strike

DENVER (KDVR) – Recently, local union workers filed a class action lawsuit against the Kroger Company and Albertsons, the owners of King Soopers and Safeway, respectively.

The lawsuit is in response to certain unlawful “no-poaching agreements” that the grocery stores allegedly entered into during a 2022 strike by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union in Denver against King Soopers and City Market.

A Kroger Company spokesperson released a statement regarding the lawsuit, denying that there were any non-solicitation agreements between the two companies.

The spokesperson also said data shows only between 1 and 2.5% of Kroger employees are coming from or transferring to Albertsons stores.

The allegations

According to the union, about 8,000 workers walked out of nearly 80 King Soopers stores during the 2022 strike.

A lawsuit filed in 2024 by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser alleged that during that strike, King Soopers owner Kroger reached an agreement with Albertsons, the owner of Safeway, not to hire King Soopers workers.

Safeway also reportedly agreed not to solicit customers from the King Soopers pharmacy.

The agreement was reportedly discussed in an email between company executives ahead of the strike.

The class action lawsuit seeks lost wages “and other economic gains to employees” that could have been secured had the agreements not existed.