Striking King Soopers and City Market workers appeared to return to work Friday after Kroger Co. and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 officials announced a tentative early-morning agreement.

Picketers were gone from at least three metro Denver area stores Friday visited by Denver Gazette journalists. 

The tentative pact ends the-almost 10-day strike that started Jan. 12 after the two sides failed to reach an agreement before contracts expired Jan. 8. More than 8,000 workers at 78 Denver metro area King Soopers and City Market stores walked picket lines.

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Details of the tentative three-year agreement will be released in coming days. The agreement is being sent to the entire union membership for approval and ratification. Voting is scheduled for Monday.

“After months of negotiations and after our members walked out on strike, we have reached a tentative agreement with King Soopers/City Market that addresses the Company’s unfair labor practices and ensures that our members will receive the respect, pay, and protection they warrant,” said Local 7 President Kim Cordova in a news release.

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“We are pleased that this agreement allows us to put more money in our associates’ paychecks and secures healthcare and pension plans.” said King Soopers President Joe Kelley in a news release. “We look forward to welcoming back our associates and customers.”

Workers were seeking not only improved wages, but improved working conditions because of their front-line status during the pandemic, and improved safety measures like security guards at all stores. 

The strike capped an acrimonious period of “unfair labor practices” accusations being tossed from both sides after the union’s 8,700 grocery workers in metro Denver stores voted overwhelmingly to strike. The union represents about 17,000 of The Kroger Co.’s 22,500 employees in Colorado. Kroger is the parent company of King Soopers and City Market.

The union filed an unfair labor practices complaint in federal court at the end of December. Kroger, in return, filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board during the strike, alleging union workers would not return to the bargaining table.

The two sides returned to the bargaining table Jan. 14 after union representatives refused the company’s request to use federal mediators. 

Company officials’ last offer before the strike included raises, and showed a checker making $19.51 an hour would make $22.61 an hour over the next three years under the proposed contract.

Union members got $800 to picket 40 hours a week, or $100 per week for nonpicketers who don’t cross the line. 

Colorado Springs stores, and others not in metro Denver, like those on the West Slope, were not impacted by the strike as their workers have different contract timelines.

Local 7 and King Soopers originally began negotiations in October.

Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. operates 143 grocery stores, 97 convenience stores, nine jewelry stores, and eight manufacturing and distribution facilities in Colorado.