Colorado
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
Julian Lewis Says Deion Sanders’ Colorado ‘Wasn’t Really Looking at Defenses Much’ Last Season
Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis made a stunning admission that could explain the team’s 3-9 finish to the 2025 season.
While speaking to ESPNU at Big 12 media days, Lewis was asked what the biggest difference was between last year and this year, and he revealed that the Deion Sanders-coached Buffaloes typically didn’t watch film during his first season with the team.
“My play, I’m actually looking at the defenses now,” Lewis said. “Last year, we wasn’t really looking at defenses much, just kind of high school free-balling, just out there playing football. But it’s a lot bigger than that now, so it should be fun.”
Before taking a redshirt year, Lewis played in four games as a true freshman with two starts and threw for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 55.3 percent of his passes. He should fare even better this season with the benefit of film study.
Lewis will enter the 2026 campaign as Colorado’s starting quarterback, so he will have the opportunity to show his improvements when the Buffaloes open the year against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
State and federal agencies are starting to reopen public lands, state wildlife areas and a segment of the Colorado River that were closed in light of the Snyder Fire in Mesa County.
Stage 2 fire restrictions — banning all open fire or flames, including charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves — remain in effect as extreme fire danger, spurred on by hot and dry conditions, persists across the region.
The Snyder Fire started on Friday, June 26, when several smaller fires burning on the Colorado-Utah border combined. As of July 7, the fire was 98% contained after burning over 30,200 acres and killing three wildland firefighters.
With fire activity decreasing and containment increasing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management shared their plans Tuesday to reopen lands impacted by the wildfire.
Parks and Wildlife said in a news release that it, alongside the Bureau of Land Management, had lifted the closure for public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River, starting at the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. It also reopened the boat ramp at the Fruita section of the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita to downstream traffic.
The state agency’s Horsethief State Wildlife Area in Fruita and the Loma Boat Launch State Wildlife Area also reopened.
The BLM said in a news release that all lands within the perimeter of the Snyder Fire burn area remain closed to ensure public and firefighter safety.
“The burned landscape — including vegetation — remains dynamic and unpredictable as it naturally recovers from the fire impacts. This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until the order is rescinded,” the BLM said.
Both agencies also warned that fire danger remains extremely elevated and Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place.
A map of current federal and state fire restrictions is available on the Rocky Mountain Area Interagency Fire Restriction Dashboard or by visiting DFPC.Colorado.Gov/sections/wildfire-information-center. The Colorado Trails Explorer (or COTREX) app also has wildfire closure alerts.
Under current conditions, Parks and Wildlife advised the following actions to prevent sparking wildfires:
- Use established rings: Where permitted, only build campfires inside permanent metal fire rings in designated campgrounds.
- Clear nearby debris: Remove all dry grass, leaves and pine needles within a 10-foot radius of any flame.
- Drown and stir: Extinguish fires completely with water, stir the ashes, and ensure the debris is cold to the touch.
- Watch campfires constantly: Never leave a fire or portable stove unattended. If you see an unattended fire, call 911.
- Keep vehicles off brush: Avoid parking or idling cars on tall, dry grass where hot exhaust systems can ignite a fire.
- Secure towing equipment: Ensure trailer safety chains do not drag and spark against asphalt. Check them at every stop.
The BLM added that under its Stage 2 restrictions, smoking is prohibited except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
Gas-powered stoves or grills with a shut-off valve are still allowed in cleared areas under this stage.
Violating Stage 2 fire restrictions by lighting a campfire is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Violators face an immediate citation, a mandatory court appearance, steep fines and potential jail time. Additionally, you can be held financially liable for all fire suppression costs and property damage if the campfire sparks a wildfire.
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