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Strike Vote Meetings Set For King Soopers Union Workers

DENVER (CBS4)- Strike votes for King Soopers employees have been scheduled for later this week. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 will vote on whether to strike on Thursday and Friday.

Negotiations abruptly ended on Thursday night between the parent company, Kroger, and UFCW Local 7 Union.

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(credit: CBS)

The union represents about 12,000 King Soopers and City Market employees. Both parties have been trying to agree on a new union contract since December; thus far, nothing has worked.

RELATED: King Soopers Shoppers May Have To Cross Picket Lines

The union claims Kroger is depriving about half of their employees of pay raises over the next three years, fewer full-time jobs, and reduced income for about 10,000 Colorado seniors.

King Soopers responded with this statement: We have been advised that UFCW local 7 is holding a vote on either approving our current contract offer or approving a strike vote this Thursday and Friday. We encourage our associates to participate in this process and let their voices be heard.

Here are some facts:

Increases in wages over the next 3 years. As an example: for a top rate associate, that would be more than a $2,000 increase over 3 years.

Our associates will not pay 1 cent more for health care costs. Currently families pay less than $100 a month for full coverage which includes health, vision and dental.

Currently, we have nearly 1,000 job openings which mean there is an opportunity to move up to higher paying positions when you work at King Soopers/City Market, as every executive with the company has done.

We are investing to ensure the pension stays healthy as we always have. We are part of the less than 7% of the Fortune 500 companies that still pay a traditional pension. This provides them a retirement income.

Courtesy Clerks/Carry Outs make more than minimum wage when they start. The majority are under 25. If they work full-time they get full benefits after one year.

As you know we are hiring temporary workers, once negotiations stopped we made preparations to ensure our stores can continue to serve our communities.

As Colorado's largest grocer we treat our associates, customers, and communities with generosity and humility. Because together, we believe the only thing more important than feeding the human body, is feeding the human spirit.

"Despite the transformation occurring in the grocery industry, we continue to make significant investments in our associates, said Dennis Gibson, President of King Soopers/City Market, in a statement. We have come to this offer with each of our associates in mind. I am confident when our associates read through the details of this offer they will see we are making significant investments in them. I encourage them to get out there and let their voices be heard, added Dennis."

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