Safeway, Colorado workers resume talks

Denver After a two-month contract talk hiatus, Safeway resumed talks with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 regarding new contracts to replace ones that expired May 9.

The contract talks impact about 17,000 unionized Colorado grocery workers at Safeway, King Soopers and Albertsons. 

Pending resolution, Safeway and Kroger Co.'s King Soopers and City Market chains have agreed to extend the old contracts until Aug. 15.

The union says the chains are making money and can afford to keep benefits strong. Grocers have said they are competing with nonunion chains like Wal-Mart as healthcare costs rise and the stock market pummels pension fund portfolios.