United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 President Kim Cordova has once again found herself in hot water, this time facing not one, but TWO sets of unfair labor practice charges against UFCW Local 7.
It came to light weeks ago that Kim and Local 7 brass were issuing hefty fines and attempting to confiscate earned wages from hardworking members who chose to continue working and provide for their families during the January King Soopers strike.
In response to that anti-worker crackdown and potentially unlawful fines, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation filed unfair labor charges against Local 7 on behalf of two union members.
And now, Cordova’s own employees are charging separate unfair labor practices against Local 7.
FAIR Files Unfair Labor Practice Charges With NLRB
Local 7 employees, who belong to their own union called the Federation of Agents and International Representatives (FAIR), have filed their own complaint against Local 7 with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
According to the filing, dozens of employees represented by FAIR are included in the latest dispute, including Local 7 employees “actively engaged in organizing, politics, servicing membership, building maintenance, grievance handling, public relations, accountants, programmers, and secretarial duties.”
While minimal details have been publicly released, the timing of the complaints is interesting. Is Kim Cordova resorting to retaliatory tactics in the midst of contract negotiations with her own employees?
We’ll continue to monitor and report as this unfolds. Stay tuned.
Kim’s Anti-Worker Crackdown continues
Last month, The Colorado Sun highlighted the continued anti-worker crackdown by Kim Cordova and United Food and Commercial Workers (“UFCW”) Local 7 against their own union members.
Back in April, Imperfect Union exposed Cordova and her UFCW cronies as they began issuing hefty fines and attempting to confiscate earned wages from hardworking members who chose to continue working and put food on their families’ tables during the January King Soopers strike. Now, The Colorado Sun tells the disheartening story of two union members who were fined a combined $4,600+ by UFCW Local 7.
Union Members File Unfair Labor Charges Against UFCW Local 7
In response to those unfair and seemingly illegal fines, the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation filed unfair labor charges on behalf of the two union members against UFCW Local 7 with the National Labor Relations Board.
“What this case is about are two workers who did decide to work despite what the UFCW officials wanted, and they resigned their union membership so they could do so,” said Patrick Semmens, Vice President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
“The fact that the union doesn’t have the legal authority to issue such fines doesn’t always stop them from attempting to do so. Unfortunately, the incentives are basically there for them to try and fine everyone they can under the sun and then later figure out whether those fines are actually legal under federal labor law or not,” Semmens continued.
Kim’s Secret Tribunal
Despite those union members doing everything right, Cordova and Local 7 still ordered them to pay the hefty fines or appeal them to Cordova’s tribunal populated by union executives who issued the fines in the first place.
When The Colorado Sun reached out to UFCW Local 7 and Cordova for comment on the unfair labor charge, Cordova refused to answer for the retaliatory attack she’s continued against the union members she’s supposed to represent.
Union members deserve to hear from Cordova why UFCW Local 7 – which has $14.7 million in cash – is attempting to confiscate thousands more out of its members’ pockets.
Kim Gets Rich off the Backs of Hardworking Union Members
Moreover, while Cordova sacrificed UFCW members’ pay by leading the needless strike against King Soopers, she had no problem continuing to collect her own six-figure salary.
In 2021 alone, Cordova received a salary of $202,922 – a $12,000 raise compared to 2020. Over the course of her tenure as president of UFCW Local 7, she has raked in more than $2.2 million. Meanwhile, Cordova refused to halt the collection of union dues for struggling Local 7 members, who have now had up to $1,700 taken out of their paychecks since March 2020.
Kim Loves the Broncos!
In addition to her posh salary, Kim spends her members’ dues on 16 season tickets to the Denver Broncos – a fact confirmed by Cordova to The Denver Gazette.
When pressed as to why she has these tickets, Cordova said, “The union got 16 season tickets when it merged with an amalgamated meat cutters union….”
Cordova has to know she can just cancel the season tickets if she didn’t want them… right? How many games per season does she usually attend?
Kim, instead of attending with high-paid union bosses, how about inviting 16 hardworking rank-and-file UFCW Local 7 members to the Broncos’ season opener in September?
Strike against King Soopers Was Not a Win
Contradicting Cordova’s claims, The Denver Gazette raises significant questions about whether she actually delivered the victory for her members that she claimed following her scorched-earth strike against King Soopers earlier this year.
In short: She didn’t.
According to The Denver Gazette, the deal reached after the needless strike was no different in dollar amount than the offer that Cordova refused before going on strike.
Cordova even seems to acknowledge as much, saying, “The company representatives will try to frame their argument that the strike was unnecessary however we disagree,” while offering no persuasive substantive evidence to back up her claim. The reason? Because there isn’t any.
The worst part is that at the end of the day, Cordova actually cost her members money.
Specifically, Cordova’s decision to strike forced UFCW Local 7 members to forego nearly 2 weeks of pay when many of her members were already struggling from the financial pressures brought on by the pandemic and record inflation. By going on strike to only agree to a deal no different in dollar amount to the pre-strike offer, Cordova prevented each of her members from receiving paychecks worth $2,000-$4,000.
Kim’s Strike Also Hurt Colorado Families and Communities
Cordova’s decision to strike also hurt Colorado communities by interrupting access to food and other essentials. And by preventing customers from entering entire shopping centers, even unaffiliated local businesses suffered the wrath of Kim Cordova.