Colorado

Colorado grocery workers slam Kroger-Albertsons plan to divest 91 stores as part of merger • Colorado Newsline

Published

2 years ago

July 11, 2024

Colorado grocery workers slam Kroger-Albertsons plan to divest 91 stores as part of merger • Colorado Newsline

Colorado grocery workers who fear the impacts of a proposed $24.6 billion merger between the nation’s two largest supermarket chains aren’t swayed by the companies’ announcement this week of the 91 stores across Colorado that would be sold as part of the deal, in a bid to allay antitrust concerns.

Grocery giant Kroger, which operates King Soopers and City Market stores in Colorado, first announced its plans to acquire Albertsons, which operates the Safeway brand, in 2022. The deal, one of the largest retail mergers ever proposed, has been opposed by labor unions and consumer advocates who fear that the consolidation could lead to higher prices and decreased wages and bargaining power for workers. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is one of two attorneys general who have sued to block the merger.

The two companies’ divestiture plan, detailed this week, would offload 91 Safeway stores in Colorado, along with two distribution centers and a dairy plant, to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based grocery supplier.

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Bill Valdez, a United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 member who has worked as a meat cutter for over 50 years, said during a press conference Thursday that while his King Soopers store in Colorado Springs is not on the list of locations to be sold, uncertainty and anxiety over the merger’s consequences is being felt by workers across the state.

“As grocery store workers, we’re all about customer service, and it’s tough to keep a smiling face when you’re not sure about your job,” Valdez said. “During my time as a union member, I’ve been through mergers and closures which have put my livelihood in jeopardy, and it’s not just our wages, benefits and pensions on the line with this merger. We all know the cost of groceries is high, and I fear that the merger would only lead to further increases.”

Kroger and Albertsons say that C&S has committed to not closing any stores or laying off any “frontline” employees as a result of the merger, and existing collective bargaining contracts would continue. But UFCW representatives paint C&S — a wholesaler that currently operates just 23 retail locations nationwide — as a struggling company with shaky finances, unequipped to operate 579 newly acquired stores as an “effective competitor” to the merged Kroger-Albertsons behemoth.

“I think Kroger wanted to have it both ways,” said John Marshall, a financial analyst for UFCW. “They wanted to be able to divest a certain number of stores to give the appearance that they’re trying to remedy the anti-competitive effects of their proposed merger. At the same time, they don’t want to have a real competitor who they would lose market share to.”

As grocery store workers, we’re all about customer service, and it’s tough to keep a smiling face when you’re not sure about your job.

– Bill Valdez, UFCW Local 7 member

UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova echoed those concerns in a statement.

“We cannot entrust our grocery stores — which are integral to our communities and our workers — to the untested, inexperienced C&S Wholesale Grocers,” Cordova said. “Kroger and Albertsons have known what stores they plan to divest for months, and the last-ditch release of the list today is an underhanded attempt to influence the courts and create the perception that the mega-merger is close to final, creating more uncertainty for our members.”

After a yearlong investigation into the proposed deal, Weiser in February filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court, alleging that the merger violated state antitrust laws and would have “harmful impacts on consumers, workers, and suppliers.” The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson have also challenged the merger in court.

Weiser’s investigation also uncovered evidence of alleged collusion between Kroger and Albertsons during a January 2022 strike by UCFW Local 7 workers at Colorado King Soopers stores: “no-poach” and “non-solicitation” deals in which Albertsons agreed not to hire striking King Soopers employees or to attract King Soopers pharmacy customers.

Marshall said the “very, very compelling arguments” in the state-level lawsuits by Weiser and Ferguson could be pivotal in determining the merger’s fate. The terms of the acquisition expire on Oct. 9, after which the parties could renegotiate or exit the deal.

A key series of hearings in the Colorado case, on Weiser’s request for a preliminary injunction against the merger, is scheduled to begin Aug. 12 in Denver.

“We’re very confident that an impartial judge in each of those states is going to block the merger in those states,” Marshall said. “And we think if that happens, it would be very difficult for the merger to occur nationally without those two states being part of the deal.”

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Colorado

Colorado residents should prepare for Xcel power outages this week as fire danger surges, utility says

Published

9 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Colorado residents should prepare for Xcel power outages this week as fire danger surges, utility says

Xcel Energy is warning its customers along the Front Range to be prepared for possible power outages this week as the risk of wildfire surges due to hot and dry weather.

“Due to the elevated risk of wildfire, enhanced powerline safety settings are active across out Front Range service territory,” according to a social media post from the utility. The settings make the powerlines more sensitive and prompt a line to stop the flow of electricity if an object touches a line.

The highest risk for wildfire danger will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when strong gusty winds are forecasted, according to the National Weather Service.

Humidity could be as low as 10% and winds may top 25 mph, leading to critical and extremely critical fire weather between Thursday and Saturday, forecasters said.

Tens of thousands of customers have lost power in recent months from planned outages during fire danger and powerline damage from high winds.

In December, 86,040 Xcel customers lost power because of a mix of planned shutoffs and downed powerlines from high winds. The decision led some customers to criticize the utility, asking it to fine-tune its weather responses.

Some schools in northern Colorado schools preemptively canceled classes in January after Xcel announced a planned power shutoff for 9,000 customers in the area.

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Colorado

An Evening Against Edmonton | Colorado Avalanche

Published

21 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

An Evening Against Edmonton | Colorado Avalanche

Edmonton Oilers (31-25-8) @ Colorado Avalanche (43-10-9)

8 p.m. MT | Ball Arena | Watch: TNT, truTV, HBO Max | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM)

After back-to-back shootout victories, the Avalanche concludes its two-game homestand on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers. This game is an Avalanche Cup Classic, presented by KeyBank, which will honor the 2022 Avs team that won the Stanley Cup and defeated the Oilers in the Western Conference Final. Tuesday’s game is the second of three regular-season meetings between the teams, as the Avalanche won 9-1 in Edmonton on November 8th, and they’ll play in Alberta on April 13th.

Sunday Success

The Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in a shootout on Sunday at Ball Arena. Nathan MacKinnon and Nicolas Roy both scored for Colorado while Nazem Kadri posted an assist in his second Avs debut. In net for Colorado, Scott Wedgewood stopped 32 of the 34 shots he faced. MacKinnon opened the scoring at 12:19 of the second period with his 43rd goal of the season via a right-circle one-timer set up by Kadri, who began the play with an interception below the offensive-zone goal line. Kirill Kaprizov tied the game for Minnesota with a power-play goal at 4:17 of the third period when his pass from the right circle deflected into the net. The Wild took a 2-1 lead at 7:01 of the third period when Nico Sturm scored a shorthanded breakaway. Colorado tied the game at 12:39 of the third period when Nicolas Roy scored his first goal as an Av and sixth of the season via a net-front deflection on Brett Kulak’s slap shot. In the shootout, Valeri Nichushkin scored for Colorado in the first round, Matt Boldy scored for Minnesota in the second round and MacKinnon tallied the winner in the fourth round.

Leading the Way

Nate the Great

MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals (43) while ranking second in points (104) and third in assists (61).

All Hail Cale

Among NHL defensemen, Cale Makar is tied for second in points (66) while ranking fourth in goals (19) and assists (47).

Marty Party

Martin Necas is tied for seventh in the NHL in points (76).

Series History

In 135 regular-season games against the Oilers, the Avalanche has a record of 74-49-6-6. The teams have met three times in the playoffs, with the Avs winning the 1997 Western Conference Semifinals in five games and the 2022 Western Conference Final in four contests.

Sunday in Sin City

The Oilers defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday. In the second period, Trent Frederic opened the scoring for Edmonton at 3:21 before Vegas’ Noah Hanifin tied the game at 13:09. The Oilers took a 3-1 third-period lead after goals from Vasily Podkolzin at 2:34 and Leon Draisaitl at 11:53. Jack Eichel cut the Golden Knights’ deficit to one with a shorthanded goal at 16:43 of the third period. Edmonton took a 4-2 lead when Kasperi Kapanen scored an empty-net goal at 18:03 of the third period.

Producing Offense Against the Oilers

MacKinnon has posted 39 points (13g/26a) in 29 regular-season games against the Oilers, in addition to five points (3g/2a) in four playoff contests.

Makar has registered 13 points (5g/8a) in 13 regular-season contests against Edmonton, in addition to nine points (2g/7a) in four playoff games.

Kadri has recorded 25 points (12g/13a) in 30 regular-season games against the Oilers, in addition to four points (1g/3a) in three playoff contests.

Edmonton’s Elite

Connor McDavid leads the Oilers in points (108), goals (35) and assists (73).

Draisaitl is second on the Oilers in points (92), goals (34) and assists (58).

Evan Bouchard is third on the Oilers in points (73) and assists (55) while ranking fourth in goals (18).

A Numbers Game

34

The Avalanche are 34-0-0 when leading after the second period this season.

85

Colorado leads the NHL with 85 second-period goals this campaign.

.806

The Avalanche’s .806 points percentage at home this season is the best in the NHL.

Quote That Left a Mark

“Emotional seeing the support I get here. It’s absolutely incredible. It makes me want to play harder for these fans and this team.”

— Nazem Kadri on the support he received from Avalanche fans at Sunday’s game

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Colorado Rockies spring training game no. 17 thread: Kyle Freeland vs. Jedisxson Paez

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Colorado Rockies spring training game no. 17 thread: Kyle Freeland vs. Jedisxson Paez

In his first spring training action of 2026, Kyle Freeland faced the daunting task of pitching against Team USA in an exhibition game on March 4. He gave up a solo homer to Aaron Judge in a two-hit, one-strikeout performance in one inning.

Today, Freeland and the Rockies (8-6-1) will take part in his first Cactus League action against the White Sox (10-7) at Camelback Ranch. The Rockies are 5-2 on the road this spring vs. 3-5-1, including the showdown vs. Team USA, at Salt River Fields.

Today’s game represents a rematch of a Feb. 23 showdown where the Rockies beat the White Sox 5-4. Chicago will send Jedisxson Paez to the mound to start the game. The 22-year-old RHP will be making his third spring appearance. He’s posted a 23.14 ERA in 2 1/3 innings over two starts with six earned runs, six hits, including one homer, three strikeouts and one walk. Former Rockie Drew Romo will be starting at catcher for the White Sox.

On Sunday, four pitchers combined to throw five scoreless innings and Kyle Karros and Tyler Freeman each had two-hit performances in the Rockies 4-4 tie with Cleveland. Even though it’s only spring training, the Rockies offense has been much improved thus far. The Rockies rank among all Major League teams this Spring in: on-base percentage (.381, T-1st), home runs (23, T-4th), average (.287, 3rd), HBP (14, T-2nd), slugging (.492, 3rd), OPS (.871, 3rd), runs scored (98, 5th), RBI (91, 6th) and total bases (254, 6th).

Earlier on Monday, the Rockies released a new motto for the 2026 campaign: “New era. At altitude. We are here for the climb.”

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