Grocery talks set to resume Oct. 20
Denver Business Journal

Denver-area grocery workers will go back to the bargaining table to try again to hammer out new contracts with Safeway and King Soopers officials, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 said Tuesday.

About 15,000 workers voted last week to reject what the stores had called a final contract offer. However, another round of negotiations has been scheduled for Oct. 20, UFCW spokeswoman Laura Chapin said.

The two sides have been in talks since April about new five-year contracts, and negotiations have centered around the issues of wages, health care and pension funding.

Safeway workers have voted twice to approve a strike if necessary and both grocery chains have said they have replacement work forces in place if a work stoppage were to occur.