Pueblo and Pueblo West Safeway workers have joined a United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 strike seeking better pay, staffing and benefits.

Safeway workers are striking at the same time as contract negotiations between workers and King Soopers are coming to a head. The union is negotiating with King Soopers and parent Kroger after a strike in February. That strike lasted almost two weeks before a deal was reached to pause the labor action for 100 days. That pause expired last month.

A Spokane police detective shot and killed Johnny D. Jones, 33, after police confronted him for robbing a downtown Safeway store. The detective and witnesses said they thought Jones fired the first shot.

The union that represents 7,000 Safeway/Albertsons employees in Colorado terminated its contract extension with the company on Wednesday.