Negotiations between King Soopers and the grocery workers union are getting heated again after the strike ended in February.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 filed a counter claim against the grocer alleging King Soopers violated the agreement made to end the February strike in turn for 100 days of peace and a return to the bargaining table.

The lawsuit comes more than halfway through the peace period.

If the strikes ended, King Soopers promised to not implement any offers for the 100 days and it would not lock out workers.

UFCW Local 7 said the Colorado-based grocery chain owned by Kroger was allegedly not considering the union’s proposals and put forth ultimatums that expired this month, well before the 100 days expired.

King Soopers did not immediately respond for comment.

“The employer’s side of that agreement was that they would not implement any new terms without our agreement, lock-out workers, and would negotiate in good faith. They have failed in that commitment,” stated Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7, in a news release.

Workers went on strike in February for nearly 12 days after the first round of contract negotiations failed to result in an agreement.

It brought out lawsuits, a barely-limiting restraining order against strikers, thousands of temporary workers transported and housed at a cost to the company and allegations of illegal unfair labor practices.

There were also frustrations over staffing shortages and warnings that employees were at risk of losing healthcare benefits.

Negotiations began to sour again in March when King Soopers made several offers to the union that would expire on April 12, according to the counter claim. After the deadline passed, the grocer allegedly withdrew its offer and “made clear that it would only offer a new, more concessionary proposal.”

Hours before UFCW Local 7 announced it was taking legal action, the union criticized King Soopers for undergoing a leadership change at the top.

Company president Joe Kelley is moving up the ranks of Kroger and was named senior vice president of retailer beginning May 1.

Chris Albi, vice president of operations, will take over as president of King Soopers.

Albi began working at King Soopers as a courtesy clerk in 1981, according to the company, and is from Colorado.

The Union criticized Kelley’s tenure due to the two strikes that happened since he took over in 2021. Cordova added in a statement that Albi had an opportunity to “reset” the company’s relationship with workers.

The union expressed doubts about the leadership changes and said there needs to be larger changes at Kroger to address worker problems such as staffing shortages and benefits.

Albi has been recently appearing in company videos sent to employees updating staff on contract negotiations, standing next to Kelley.

“Since we started bargaining with Local 7 in October of last year, the Kroger family of companies has already settled multiple contracts across the country,” Albi said in a video last week updating workers on contract negotiations.

“But Local 7 seems to believe that dragging negotiations out even longer will somehow lead to a better deal,” Kelley later added. “That’s just not true.”

The new leadership isn’t expected to impact negotiations, the company said Wednesday.

The peace period is set to end May 28.

“We need King Soopers & City Market to switch gears and begin to bargain in good faith and this lawsuit is about ensuring King Soopers is held accountable for failing to honor the agreement they made,” Cordova stated Thursday.