Some King Soopers shoppers cross picket lines in Colorado during strike, many others stay away: "It just felt strange"
The King Soopers union workers strike in Colorado that started on Thursday is expected to last two weeks. Until then, at 77 of the grocery stores in the Denver metro area there are adjusted store hours and limited pharmacy hours in place.
Many shoppers chose not to cross the picket lines at those stores in the first hours of the strike. For those who did, they found that business was not be running as usual.
The impacts are also coming at a time of year when grocery stores usually see a high volume of customers -- in the days leading up to Super Bowl Sunday.
At the King Soopers in Englewood at the corner of Broadway and Englewood Parkway on Thursday, while dozens of King Soopers workers protesting outside, only a few customers and employees were inside.
"It's pretty much abandoned inside," said Rudolph Rodriguez, a regular at the store. "It just felt strange going into a store this time of day, on this day of the week, to see very little activity in there."
An empty parking lot was also seen at the Centennial King Soopers on Arapahoe Road. Ron Underwood, a customer there, said all registers were closed but self checkout remained open.
"I was surprised there was no clerks to check you out. You have to do self check-out, so I had to ask for a little help there," said Underwood.
Signs were placed at the front of the store with the temporary store hours and pharmacy hours.
Customers there also shared their concerns about not enough employees to keep food on the shelves or enough workers to help customers.
"One of my concerns about that part is the elderly and disabled that have no choice but to come here and shop," said Rodriguez. "Who's going to handle their services?"
Meanwhile customers in Littleton showed their support for the union workers, who are striking due to low wages and what they say are unfair working conditions, a point Kroger, the parent company of the grocery chain, disputes.
"I usually shop here, but I respect the employees and I respect the place that I regularly go," said one Littleton customer, who wanted to see the strike for himself, and was then encouraged to take his business elsewhere.
"I wanted to support my local employees so they can maybe get what they need," the Littleton customer added.
Drivers were also seen honking in support, while customers plan their shopping hauls for the next two weeks.
"I would anticipate the shelves to start diminishing real quickly here, which means I won't have much of a choice then to go to Safeway," said Rodriguez.
King Soopers workers last went on strike back in 2022, which lasted about a week-and-a-half before the union and company could come to an agreement.
