Fining Her Members and Sham Appeal Hearings Signal that Cordova Requires New Loyalty Test
Last week, it was reported that Kim Cordova, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 7, has launched an intimidation campaign of fines and payroll deductions against her own members who chose to “cross the picket line” by continuing to work during January’s King Soopers strike.
In response to those alarming developments, Timothy Lee, Senior Vice President of Legal and Public Affairs at the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF), issued the following statement:
“After claiming for months that Local 7 members were underpaid and could barely afford groceries, Kim Cordova has decided to attack those same members who worked during the strike by garnishing their paycheck and fining them $250 per day.
“Kim Cordova’s actions will make it harder for her members to keep food on the table and risk sending them deep into poverty.
“Kim Cordova is behaving like a power hungry, authoritarian leader who will harm anyone who gets in her way – even her own rank-and-file members. It is time for UFCW leadership to step up, do the right thing, and find a more responsible replacement.”
What this means for the Average UFCW 7 Member
For UFCW Local 7 members who provided for their families during the entire nine-day strike, Kim Cordova is demanding the following:
- $2,250 in fines ($250 per day)
- All wages earned – which could be up to $1,500
If members try to appeal, their case will be heard by a self-appointed tribunal overseen by Kim Cordova and her cronies. That’s hardly a beacon of due process.
Strike against King Soopers Was Not a Win
Contrary to 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,” but she offers no persuasive 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.
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.
Cordova 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 issue 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.
Cordova 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 a season does she usually attend?
Kim Cordova, 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? We’ll be watching!
Cordova’s Strike 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.
Political Future
There were also persistent rumors throughout the strike that Kim Cordova was striking because she planned to run for the State Legislature, Governor, or maybe even to take on Marc Perrone, the UFCW Big Man in Washington.
That’s one of the reasons many people believe Kim Cordova attacked Governor Polis during the strike.
Moreover, Cordova spent $270K+ worth of her members’ dues money in 2021 to retain a Democrat lobbying firm in Washington.
When asked if she planned to run for office, Cordova predictably, but unconvincingly, denied having those ambitions, saying, “I’m not seeking any other office other than I have a membership that deserves more, and I fight for them.”
Maybe the only political fight in the future Cordova will have is retaining her job as president of Local 7.
Let’s see.