As strikers continued to walk the picket lines, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 and the owners of King Soopers agreed Thursday to resume negotiations.

Kim Cordova, president of the union’s local chapter, announced at a rally on Thursday that union had told officials with Kroger, which operates King Soopers and City Market, that it was willing to reopen negotiations.

In an emailed statement to The Denver Gazette later Thursday, King Soopers officials said they were glad the union was willing to meet.

“We are please that after nearly a week the union has finally responded to our request to meet,” the statement read. “We look forward to returning to the bargaining table to resume negotiations and find a deal that puts more money in our associates paycheck.”

The union represents approximately 17,000 King Soopers/City Market/Kroger employees in Colorado and Wyoming. Members in Boulder and Denver went on strike on Wednesday after alleged unfair labor practices.

“As of today, our picket lines are holding strong,” Cordova said in an email statement.

“The picket lines will remain up as the Bargaining Committee negotiates. We remain committed to honoring the near-unanimous vote by Local 7 members to strike against the Company for unfair labor practices. And we will continue until the Company proves it will treat Essential Workers with the dignity they deserve.”

Many of the 8,400 workers who walked out of the 77 Denver metro area stores on Wednesday remained on the picket lines. Others gathered in the early afternoon on Thursday across the street from Glendale’s King Soopers 124 for a rally to support their fellow union members.

People draped signs around their bodies asking for consumers to shop elsewhere. Other people held the signs and chanted “Kroger, Kroger, you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side.”

Andres Bercerril, whose worked at King Soopers for the last 12 years, addressed the crowd and said one of the company’s biggest philosophies is to “make it right with the customer,” he said while people roared in the background.

“You made it right for every single customer and now it’s time that Joe Kelley makes it right for us,” Bercerril said.

Kelley is the current president for King Soopers/City Market after taking over the role following Steve Burnham’s retirement last fall. He previously held the role of president of Kroger’s Houston division.

Other union members also addressed the crowd including Carol McMillian. She asked for her employer to be as loyal to their employees as they are to the company and stated they weren’t asking for too much.

“They’re not asking for the sun and the moon or the stars,” McMillian said. “We’re asking for fair pay, affordable healthcare and a safe workplace.”

Union representatives have said in recent days that they’ve asked for the implementation of security guards at each store since 2018, but King Soopers has been reluctant and hadn’t added the extra security until Wednesday morning in preparation for the strike.

Colorado Treasurer Dave Young, Denver Public Schools Board of Education Vice President Tay Anderson and representatives from Coloradans for the Common Good and Colorado Working Families were present to show their support.

“I have a well-worn King Soopers card in my wallet, but it’s staying in there,” Young said. “I’m not going to Kings until this is a fair contract.”

Cordova addressed the crowd last and talked about an increasing number of union members who work at the grocery chain suffering from several issues including homelessness, possible eviction and hunger.

“Our members, they’re not thriving, they’re not living the American dream, they’re struggling,” she said. “We’re doing the job of two to three to four people. We’re getting spit on and pushed for asking customers to put on their masks.”

She said the union will continue to fight for its members until they’ve reached a fair contract for everyone and hopes the grocery chain will be willing to reopen negotiations on Friday morning.

“We hope that the company comes to the table and bargains in good faith and bargains a contract that reflect your values,” she said. “You are absolutely essential and we’re going to continue this fight.”