02 06 25 King Soopers President Joe Kelley talks about the current union strike

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Union workers hitting the picket lines this morning at King
Soupers across the Denver metro area and.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Joining us right now in the KOA Commic Spirit Health Hotline.
President of King Supers is Joe Kelly. Joe, welcome back
to the show this morning. I understand your stores just
opened at eight o'clock this morning. Was that always the
plan to run your hours eight to eight with the strike?

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Actually, some of the stores we are running from seven
to eight. Our pharmacies will close it at seven pm,
and our pharmacies will be closed on Sunday for the
next couple of weeks. But we're a radio service to
communities and radio service our customers.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
What type of manpower do you currently have inside of
the stores? Will customers see any type of slowdowns do
to just fewer people working in them?

Speaker 3 (00:43):
No, they will not. Actually, we have close to fifteen
hundred temporary workers. As I mentioned before, they're not replace
on workers. There is no way possible to replace our
great King Supers and City Market associates, and we also
have had a couple of hundred associates across the picket line.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Really, what is the threshold? How long are you able
to navigate with this strike. We were asking workers about
that too, But where how long can you withhold and
withstand what's going to take place with the strike going on?

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Well, first and foremost, you know, I've said this numerous times.
This is very disappointing and it's certainly a big concern
for our communities. Any union calls a strike, it's not
about wages, it's not about healthcare, and it's not about pensions. Right.
They have this accusation around an unfair labor practice when
the National Labor Relations Board is not determined and we've
committed any unfair labor practice. So Kim Condover is again

(01:36):
being reckless to our communities and to our people. And
in regards to how long we can go, we have
the capability of run our stores, and as I mentioned
to you before, we have the capability of bringing in
more temporary workers if we need to. We have numerous
non union stores we can bring some folks in, and
we have about one hundred and fifty leaders from across
the country that are here helping us as well. You know,

(01:57):
we have a responsibility and we have to uphold that
responsibility to service our communities.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Jo, can you remind us what is the main bullet
points in this last best and final offer, and what
do you believe is the sticking point in it. I
know you say that they weren't able to vote on it,
so we don't really know the overall outcome yet. But
when you talk about healthcare and benefits and raises, what
are some of the demands that we're seeing that could
still be missing in this last best and final offer.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
We're not receiving any demands from locally. As I mentioned before,
they walked away from the table and haven't come back,
haven't set up any any more meetings. As I mentioned,
We're more than willing to sit down and talk. But again,
it's not about wages, it's not about healthcare, it's not
about pensions. Some of Kim Cordova's rhetoric is talking about that,
but in fact it's not. We've shared the last best

(02:44):
and final offer with our associates. I've asked our associates
fundamentally for questions. Why haven't Why hasn't the union put
forward a single wage proposal for them? Why haven't they
given us a comprehensive staffing proposal that she keeps talking about.
Why didn't they let you vote on the last, best
and final offer, and when do they plan on getting
back to the table to work towards a fair deal
for you that puts more money in the paychecks. Fundamentally,

(03:06):
that's it. And you know our offer is one hundred
and eighty million dollars over the next four years, and
it's a four dollar twenty five cents an hour raise
over the four years for our most senior associates. And
as I mentioned, their healthcare is extremely affordable for our
associates and their family, and the pension is fully funded.
So it's disappointing and again it's reckless, Joe.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
One of the pushbacks we heard that we've had some
soundbites on is talking about some significant bonus that you
receive for leading the company. Is that conflating an issue?
Is that separate when we hear about money and things
that are going to the employees versus what goes to
the boardroom and leaders.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
So, first of all, I know what they're referring to
in regards to a bonus. Our year just ended. This
is week one of our new years, so there hasn't
been any bonus received this year. The year has just ended.
As I mentioned before, Not only is it one hundred
and eighty million dollars for the next four years, three
hundred and fifty million dollars incrementally invested in wages since

(04:04):
the contract that was ratified in twenty twenty two, and
that we're proposing the ratified through twenty twenty eight incremental moneys.
Kim Krdova would have you think, and continues to make
these crazy accusations that were taking money out of the
retiree's healthcare to pay for these raises. It's absolutely, unequivocally false.

(04:24):
This is incremental dollars that we're investing in our great
associates to put more money in their paycheck. It's not
coming out of anybody's healthcare. And she continues to make
these statements that are completely untrue.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
We had a reporter at a king Super's location earlier
this morning, and it seemed like a lot of the
customers were not willing to cross the picket lines in
order to step into the store. So are there concerns
or what recommendations or suggestions or just overall thoughts for
those are still looking to shop at Kingsoper's locations but
don't want to deal with what's taking place outside.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
Well on the front page of our website this morning,
we announced free delivery for any of our customers I
want to use free delivery to their homes, which we're
happy to do that for the next couple of weeks
so that they certainly can get their groceries and fresh
foods that they're looking for. I will tell you we
have plenty of security at all of our stores. None
of the picketers should be anywhere near the front door.

(05:16):
They should be out on the streets, and if they're not,
then we will react accordingly and hopefully that everybody continues
to operate in a professional manner and stay safe. I'm
deeply concerned about our associates and this hardship it's going
to cause them. Heard a couple of associates this morning
talk about they have to come to work, they need
to put food on their table, and this workstop is

(05:37):
that Kim Curdover is causing for her own agenda. Not
only unacceptable, but it's really disappointing for our associates. They
don't deserve this. Not to mention, our communities and our
customers don't deserve this either.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Final question, the strike seems to be self contained to
mostly the Metro area. But are you concerned about it
spreading beyond here and throughout Colorado.

Speaker 3 (05:55):
I'm always concerned because I don't know what Kim Crdova's
agenda is. You know, as I mentioned, don only is
it reckless, but she's talking about she has an authorization
vote for Colorado Springs and Pueblo, and if she does that,
we're prepared to keep those stores open as well. I
think the most important thing and what she should be
doing is getting back to the table and negotiating good faith.
She hasn't done so since before October. So at the

(06:19):
end of the day, we're prepared to sit down and talk.
She's continuing to tell people to go shop at Safeway.
Safeways ten to twelve percent higher price than us, so
it's costing customers more money to do that, to shop
at groceries. She's telling them to transfer their prescription to Safeway.
I don't understand it. You know, we're the largest grocer
in Colorado with Colorado and Bond. We've been taking care

(06:40):
of these communities for seventy seven years, and to do
this it just doesn't make any sense. And now I'm
understanding she's going to do a press conference in a
Safeway parking lot. I don't know what it has to
do with other than the fact that she's worked there
for over twenty years before she went to the union.
So we'll see where it goes. But I just hope
that our associates stays safe. I hope that she'll come
to her senses, because it's not to put some more

(07:00):
money in our associates paycheck and get them back to work.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
President of King Super it's Joe Kelly. Thank you so
much for your time this morning.