King Soopers and union leaders agreed late Monday to return to the bargaining table, ending a 12-day strike by more than 10,000 union members in metro Denver and Pueblo, Colorado.

The announcement came after the supermarket chain and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 tried but failed over the weekend to restart negotiations. Bargaining broke off when the union’s contracts with Kroger-owned King Soopers expired Jan. 17.

The union launched a two-week walkout against 77 stores Feb. 6 and looked at scheduling more strike votes in other parts of the state. Pueblo employees went on strike the next day.

Under the agreement ending the strike, King Soopers can’t lock out workers or implement any offer for at least 100 days. And the proposal rejected by union negotiators will no longer be considered the company’s “last, best and final offer.”

“We have taken a big step forward and ensured that Kroger knows that staffing is a key concern to workers and customers alike,” UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova said in a statement. “We will go back to the bargaining table and continue our fight for a fair union contract for us, our customers and the communities we serve.”

King Soopers said the union committed to removing all picket lines by 11:59 p.m. Monday to allow for a smooth and orderly transition back to regular store operations. King Soopers stores planned to return to the normal business hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting Thursday. Pharmacies will also resume their usual hours.

“Additionally, both parties have agreed to a 100-day period of labor peace, ensuring negotiations continue in good faith without further disruptions,” King Soopers said.

“Our associates are more than just employees — they are the heart of King Soopers, and we recognize the challenges they have faced,” Joe Kelley, president of King Soopers/City Market said in a statement. “Securing this agreement was about restoring certainty, not just for our business, but for the people who make it possible.”

Both sides voiced concern Monday about striking workers possibly losing health care coverage if the walkout continued. King Soopers said under the current collective bargaining agreement, employees need to work a minimum of 80 hours in a four-week month to maintain health care coverage eligibility.

“We are concerned that many associates will not meet this minimum requirement for February, due to insufficient hours worked, and will lose healthcare coverage in April,” a spokeswoman said in an earlier email.

Tensions quickly escalated between the company and union after the strike started. The union filed complaints of unfair labor practices with the National Labor Relations Board. The union accused the supermarket chain of not providing the information they needed to draft proposals, including one on its priority to boost staffing levels.

King Soopers said it has responded to numerous requests for information and has filed an unfair labor practice complaint claiming the union has delayed negotiations and not bargained in good faith. The company sought a temporary restraining order to limit strike activities, but Denver District Court Judge Sarah B. Wallace rejected most of the restrictions.

Negotiations, which started in October, broke off when the union’s contracts with King Soopers expired. The bargaining committee, made up of employees, asked union members in metro Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo to authorize a strike. Members gave their approval.

A strike wasn’t been called in Colorado Springs. But Cordova had said strike votes could be scheduled in other parts of the state, including at City Market stores in western Colorado. Cincinnati-based Kroger owns both King Soopers and City Market.

UFCW Local 7 is also negotiating a new contract with Albertsons and Safeway. Albertsons owns Safeway. The contract talks follow the collapse of a proposed merger between the Kroger and Albertsons chains. Albertsons called off the deal after judges in two separate cases rejected the merger.

A ruling in a lawsuit by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to block the merger is still pending.

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