>>>
>>> MORE
>>> MORE THAN 12,000 KING SOOPERS AND CITY MARKET
EMPLOYEES ARE PREPARED TO
STRIKE WHEN THE TIME COMES,
THE UFC W LOCAL SEVEN UNION
VOTED TO STRIKE AT THE END OF
LAST WEEK.
LAST WEEK. EMPLOYEES SAY THEY DON'T GET
ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE IN
COLORADO AND WANT TO SEE OTHER
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS.
BENEFITS. THE UNION HASN'T DECIDED ON A
STRIKE DATE BUT IT COULD HAPPEN
AT ANY TIME.
GROCERY CHAIN ITSELF SAYS IT
WAS SURPRISED THAT THIS IS
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. >>> JOINING US ON THE PHONE OUT
TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS IS ADAM
WILLIAMSON, SPOKESPERSON FOR
KING SOOPERS AND CITY MARKET
STORES, THANK YOU SIR.
>> IT MORNING.
>> CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE LATEST OFFER THAT IS
ON THE TABLE AND WHERE TALKS
FELL APART?
FELL APART? >> FIRST IT STARTS WITH HOW
MUCH WE VALUE OUR ASSOCIATES
AND EVERY DECISION WE MAKE HAS
THEM IN MIND.
WHETHER IT BE THE HEALTHCARE
COSTS THAT HAVEN'T GONE UP,
WAGE INCREASES THROUGHOUT THE
THREE YEAR CONTRACT, THAT IS
TOP-TIER AS WELL AS WAGE
PROGRESSION WHETHER IT BE SIX
MONTHS OR CAREER, AND ALSO A
PENSION PLAN FOR OUR ASSOCIATES
WHICH IS VERY STRONG.
IN PART I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT
FELL APART BUT WHAT I CAN SAY
IS IT'S A REALLY STRONG OFFER
THAT'S OUT THERE AND WE ARE
WILLING TO GET BACK TO THE
TABLE.
TABLE.
TABLE. TO
TABLE. TO DO WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO BE
DONE.
DONE.
DONE. >>
DONE. >> OVER THE WEEKEND THE COMPANY
SAID THEY WERE SURPRISED THE
UNION REJECTED THE OFFER, SO
EVEN THOUGH YOU THINK THIS IS A
REALLY STRONG OFFER, IT'S
OBVIOUS THAT THEY DON'T, RIGHT?
>> YES, I'D SAY THERE MAY BE
SOME CONFUSION ON SOME THINGS.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
WORK THROUGH WHAT IS CONFUSING
AND THERE.
AND THERE. AND I WOULD ASK THAT EACH
ASSOCIATE MEET WITH THEIR STORE
MANAGER AND MAKE SURE TO HAVE
THAT CONVERSATION ON EVERY
DETAIL OF WHAT THAT ENTAILS
BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ONE THING
IN THIS CONTRACT THAT TAKES
AWAY FROM THE ASSOCIATES, IT IS
ALL A GAME FOR THE ASSOCIATES.
>> SINCE THERE IS THE
POSSIBILITY THAT THOUSANDS OF
EMPLOYEES COULD WALK OFF THE
JOB, WHAT IS YOUR CONTINGENCY
PLAN AND WILL PEOPLE STILL BE
ABLE TO SHOP AT A KING SUPERS?
>> THEY WILL BE ABLE TO STILL
SHOP, RIGHT NOW IT IS BUSINESS
AS USUAL AND WHEN I CAN TELL
YOU IS WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE
IF IT GETS TO THAT WHICH IS THE
LAST, NO ONE WANTS A STRIKE,
AND HOWEVER WE HAVE TO BE
PREPARED BECAUSE WE WANT AS
LITTLE DISRUPTION AS POSSIBLE
FOR THE CUSTOMERS WHO NEED
GROCERIES.
GROCERIES. >> SO WHAT IS YOUR PLAN NOW, IS
THERE A TIME WHEN YOU WILL GET
BACK TO THE TABLE X
>> WE HAVE REACHED OUT TWICE TO
THE UNION AND ASKED WHEN THEY
WOULD LIKE TO GET TOGETHER.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD WHEN THAT WILL
BE.
BE.
BE. BUT
BE. BUT WE ARE READY TO SIT DOWN
AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
>> JUST WRAP UP WHEN IS THE
LAST TIME TALKS LIKE THIS FELL
APART, THAT THERE WAS RISK OF A
STRIKE LIKE THIS?
>> REALLY THE LAST STRIKE WAS
IN 1996 SO IT HAS BEEN A WHILE
AND I THINK THAT IS KIND OF A
PROVEN TRACK RECORD, WHERE WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MEET AND ALL
THE NEGOTIATIONS SINCE THEN
HAVE COME TO A FAIR AND
BALANCED CONTRACT.
BALANCED CONTRACT. >> WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND
TRYING TO EXPLAIN YOUR SIDE OF
WHAT'S GOING ON, WE APPRECIATED
ADAM.
ADAM.
ADAM. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT
THIS AS WELL IS THE UNION
PRESIDENT KIM CORDOVA, THANKS
FOR JOINING US IN STUDIO.
>> IT MORNING AT THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME.
HAVING ME. >> THEY SAID THEY WERE SURPRISED
THAT THE UNION REJECTED THE
LAST OFFER, WERE YOU ?
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> WHY NOT ?
>> THEIR OFFER WAS IN TWO
PARTS, TWO OFFERS ON THE TABLE
AND ONE WAS A PACKAGE POSTAL
THAT REINTRODUCED ITEMS THAT WE
HAD PREVIOUSLY AGREED THAT THE
COMPANY WOULD, THEY SIGNED OFF
THAT THEY WOULD WITHDRAW.
SO THAT WAS THEIR PACKAGE, ON
THE WAGE PROPOSAL THEY OFFERED
IT ONLY APPLIED TO LESS THAN
HALF THE WORKERS.
THE ONES AT THE TOP END, THE
REST OF THE WORKERS WERE EITHER
NOT GOING TO RECEIVE A WAGE
INCREASE OR IF THEY DID RECEIVE
A SMALL WAGE INCREASE THEIR
HOURS WOULD RESET AND THEY
WOULD HAVE TO REWORK HOURS AND
IT WOULD TAKE THEM LONGER TO
WORK THROUGH THE WAGE
PROGRESSIONS.
PROGRESSIONS. THE HEALTHCARE BENEFITS AND
PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THEY
PROPOSED WOULD NOT GUARANTEE
THAT DURING THE LIFE OF THE
CONTRACT THAT THERE WOULD NOT
BE BENEFIT REDUCTIONS OR COSTS
SHIFT ONTO THE WORKERS.
FIRST DAY SICK PAY WAS NOT
ADDRESSED IN THAT PROPOSAL AND
IN FACT WORKERS WOULD HAVE TO
WAIT BETWEEN 11 TO 21 YEARS TO
ACTUALLY USE SICK PAY.
AND THEN THERE IS A TWO-TIER
STRUCTURE THAT THE COMPANY HAS
THAT THEY DID NOT ADDRESS, SO.
>> WE JUST HEARD FROM ADAM FROM
KING SOOPERS THAT THEY HAVE
REACHED OUT TWICE TO THE UNION
TO COME BACK ON THE TABLE, CAN
YOU WEIGH ON THAT?
>> WE ARE WORKING ON THE
PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT PROPOSALS ARE STILL ON THE
TABLE.
TABLE.
TABLE. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE COMPANY STANDS BY THEIR WORD
ON THE PROPOSALS THAT THEY
AGREED TO WITHDRAW.
AND THEN WE ARE LOOKING FOR
VENUES TO SET UP MEETINGS.
SO WE ARE WILLING TO GO BACK
AND TALK TO THEM.
WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE
HAVE A GOOD SENSE THAT THE
COMPANY IS GOING TO KEEP THEIR
WORD ON WHAT IS ON THE TABLE
AND WHAT IS OFF.
>> SO UNION MEMBERS VOTED FOR
STRIKE AUTHORIZATION LAST WEEK
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE
PLANNING TO CONTINUE
NEGOTIATIONS, WHAT WOULD
TRIGGER A STRIKE X
>> IF THE COMPANY COMES TO THE
TABLE AND THEY DON'T BARGAIN IN
GOOD FAITH AND IF THEY DON'T
ADDRESS THE WORKERS ISSUES.
>> IS THERE A TIMELINE FOR YOU
GUYS ?
GUYS ?
GUYS ? >>
GUYS ? >> NOT YET.
WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN
THE FIRST MEETING AND WHETHER
OR NOT THEY SIT DOWN AND
ACTUALLY NEGOTIATE WITH US.
>> ALL RIGHT, KIM CORDOVA,
THANK YOU FOR