Workers and Safeway/Albertsons Find Common Ground

After two weeks of striking, Safeway workers in Colorado have finally reached a deal with Albertsons. The union and the company spent a long day negotiating on Friday. Early Saturday morning, they announced a tentative agreement. The deal needs to be approved by the union members, but for now, the strike is over. The agreement includes full healthcare and pension benefits, plus good wage increases. The union hasn't said when the vote will happen. During the strike, workers picketed outside stores, asking customers to shop elsewhere. At one Denver store, about 20 workers were protesting when the negotiations started. The strike began with just six stores and one distribution center. The union wanted to start small to make sure people understood why they were striking. They also wanted to reduce the impact on shoppers and workers. The union was also negotiating with King Soopers and City Market, owned by Kroger. They reached a deal with them too, after 46 hours of talks. The union supports the three-year contract, which includes healthcare and pension benefits. Safeway and King Soopers are the biggest grocery chains in Colorado, besides Walmart. Kroger owns 148 King Soopers and City Market stores, while Albertsons runs 105 Safeway and Albertsons locations. The negotiations took place at the DoubleTree hotel in downtown Denver. The union posted updates on their Facebook page throughout the night, saying they were still at the table. The old contract expired in January, and the union has been negotiating ever since.