Denver court partially approves King Soopers restraining order on picketersDenver court partially approves King Soopers restraining order on picketers

A Denver District Court partially approved a temporary restraining order filed by Kroger-owned King Soopers on Friday that aimed to end union workers protesting outside locations across the state. 

The grocery chain filed the lawsuit, calling for a temporary injunction, earlier this month following a breakdown in negotiations over union contracts between King Soopers and workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7, which represents some 23,000 King Soopers and City Market workers in Colorado and Wyoming.  

A Kroger spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Denver District Court Judge Sarah Wall ruled that the picketing can continue in part. Those on the picket line were ordered to not block delivery trucks, erect temporary structures like tents and canopies, or place piles of trash on sidewalks that impede access to the store. 

King Soopers and City Market workers from 77 stores have been on strike since Feb. 6.

“Our ULP (unfair labor practice) strike was announced after the grocery store members voted by 96% in late January and early February to authorize the strike. And then they have followed up their vote with 10,000 workers going out on strike and on picket lines to get the message of King Soopers’ unfair labor practices to shoppers and the public,” UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova said in a press release. 

The temporary restraining order was the second lawsuit King Soopers has filed against the union since the strike began. On Feb. 7, the grocery chain filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Colorado, alleging that UFCW Local 7 violated the National Labor Relations Act by working with unions outside of the state on the strike. 

That lawsuit, which is still in the court, argued that Local 7 tried to “force King Soopers to bargain collectively, not solely with Local 7, but with different labor unions representing non-King Soopers employees outside of Colorado, including the Teamsters Local 38 based in Everett, Washington; UFCW Local 3000 based in Des Moines, Washington; UFCW Local 770, based in Los Angeles, California; and UFCW Local 324 based in Buena Park, California.”

The union called the lawsuit “frivolous.”

“The Union vigorously denies any allegations that it is forcing King Soopers to bargain with any local union other than Local 7 and will zealously defend against any attempt to prevent the workers from securing a fair contract,” the union said in early February.