King Soopers strike impacts grocery delivery gig workers in Colorado
Legal battles continue as the strike at King Soopers locations across Colorado's Front Range near one week. As the strike continues, ripple effects are impacting more than just grocery store workers and store earnings; grocery delivery app drivers are also impacted. Some drivers like Megan Snavely say they can't afford to not cross the picket line.
"I feel bad for still going in and shopping. However, as much as they see me in here, I do think that (union workers) are very understanding," Snavely said.
Megan believes they understand that as a gig worker, she isn't necessarily filling her cart, but a trunk full of other people's groceries. As a local grocery app delivery driver, Snavely says most of her orders come from her local King Soopers location in Louisville.
"I have to shop in order to make a living," Snavely said, "I'm going to school, I'm a single mom, and I don't necessarily have like after school care or care on the weekend. So it's just the most efficient for me to be able to provide for my family."
Since the strike began, Snavely reports so few orders that she says her weekly income has nearly halved. If she avoided the striking King Soopers location, Snavely expects, "I would probably only make a couple hundred (dollars) throughout the week."
While Snavely admits she could go to other stores, after factoring in the gas prices and time for longer drives, it isn't always easy.
"You've got to kind of navigate and try to figure out what, what can I, you know, not pay for this week," Snavely said about managing her families tighter budget amid the strike.
Still, Snavely recognizes an estimated 10,000 King Soopers workers are going through a similar struggle.
"Just being able to provide for my family, putting food on the table," Snavely said, "everybody needs to provide for their family, so that's, I mean, that's really what they're out here for."
For now, Snavely plans to continue taking the orders close by and hoping for a solution soon.
"Bring their pay to something that is a livable wage. And then, of course, orders would go back to normal for myself as well," Snavely said.
Union workers on the picket line in Louisville said they could not speak on camera Wednesday, but that could change Thursday when the union and King Soopers will be back in state court to discuss a possible restraining order on the strike.
