Call Center Company in Denver, CO

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 said union members working for Safeway and Albertsons grocery stores in Colorado have voted to strike after nine months of negotiations failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement to replace one that expired in January.

Safeway and Albertsons workers across metro Denver, including Boulder and Castle Rock, approved an unfair labor practice strike, as did workers at stores in Conifer, Evergreen, Fountain, Grand Junction, Idaho Springs, Parker, Pueblo, Salida, Steamboat Springs and Vail, the UFCW Local 7 said in a news release Thursday night.

The votes on whether to authorize a strike took place last week and earlier this week, with 99% of metro Denver workers approving a strike, the union said. It represents the first time that Safeway workers in the state have voted to strike over unfair labor practices since 1996.

A date for a walkout hasn’t been announced, but the clock is ticking, said UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova. Cordova said late Friday afternoon the union was still waiting to find out if Albertsons, the owner of Safeway, intended to make a “time is of the essence” offer to head off a strike.

If an offer isn’t made or if an offer is made that the union rejects, then the union would provide 72 hours’ notice to terminate the extension on the contract, which had expired in January.

A rejection would then set the stage for a strike next week. In the strike against King Soopers and City Market, workers took to the picket lines in early February, six days after the strike vote results were announced. That labor action lasted nearly two weeks. Cordova said a new contract still isn’t in place parent company Kroger.

“We have been more than patient for months as the company slashed our hours and ignored workers’ proposals on staffing and other key issues. Incredibly, Safeway and Albertsons have now chosen to walk away from a signed agreement for retroactive pay and benefit increases and instead are only offering increases going forward. This is the essence of bargaining in bad faith. Time has run out,” said Kevan Kohlman, a Safeway worker from Grand Junction and member of the negotiating committee, in a news release.

More than 150,000 UFCW and Teamster workers in Colorado, Washington and California have been negotiating for new contracts, and a chief complaint they want to address is understaffing at stores, which they say has worsened working conditions for them and worsened shopping conditions for customers.

“At the bargaining table, this employer is holding hands with King Soopers and City Market to propose major cuts to workers’ health care benefits, and to threaten the financial security of our pension beneficiaries on fixed incomes, while continuing to reject meaningful efforts to address chronic understaffing in stores. On top of the concessionary proposals at the negotiating table, Safeway and Albertsons have gone back on their agreements,” said Cordova.

Workers are seeking better wages, better staffing levels, affordable health care and a reliable pension, Cordova said, adding that union proposals have been rejected or ignored and earlier agreements reneged on. Albertsons is also looking to divert funds out of a retiree healthcare plan funded by workers to support benefits for current employees, Cordova said.

“Safeway in Colorado remains committed to productive discussions with UFCW Local 7, and we have contract extensions in place while we do so. We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and are negotiating in good faith to achieve an agreement,” Albertsons/Safeway said in a statement sent by Heather Halpape, a spokeswoman for the Safeway Denver division.

“Our focus remains on providing exceptional service to our customers and fostering a positive working environment for our associates. All Safeway and Albertsons stores in Colorado are open and ready to continue serving our communities,” the statement said.

DENVER — The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for part of the Denver metro area and southeast Colorado through 9 p.m. Friday. Along with the risk for tornadoes, there is a risk for softball-sized hail and 75 mph winds.

The watch includes Douglas and Arapahoe counties, as well as Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Walsenburg, Trinidad, La Junta, Lamar and Burlington.

Friday has a risk for widespread stronger storms, especially across southeastern Colorado where tornadoes and large hail are likely.

The 9NEWS Weather Impact Team issued a Weather Impact Alert for Friday.

The severe weather risk includes the Denver area. Those in eastern Colorado should take hail precautions as one or two storms will have the potential to produce large hail in the metro area, especially on the south side of it.

There could be a few thunderstorms in the Denver area or in the higher terrain to the west before noon, but the stronger storms will likely happen between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday.

The ingredients for large hail are in place, but the severe storms will be isolated. There's a 5% chance for large hail and an 80% chance for measurable rain at any location in Denver.

There's a greater chance for large hail is to the south in Douglas and Elbert counties. Modeling shows long-track supercell thunderstorms likely with tennis ball-size hail and tornadoes possible from Highway 50 on the southeast plains to the Colorado state line.

Non-severe weather like accumulating small hail, lightning and flash flooding could also have a huge impact on Friday. There will be the potential for 1 to 2 inches per hour rainfall rates across the entire state.

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Colorado until 9 PM MDT pic.twitter.com/xjAAzpiCQf

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) June 6, 2025

Colorado is trending drier and warmer weekend, especially Saturday, where thunderstorm activity is expected to stay to the south of the Denver area.

An upper-level weather disturbance will move through on Sunday afternoon increasing the storm coverage with about a 40 percent chance for measurable rain in Denver.

Colorado will build its way back into the middle 80's by mid-week with just isolated afternoon thunderstorms. The high heat of summer is on its way to Colorado. The Denver area could see its first 90-degree weather later next week.

Denver 7-day forecast

Posted 10:29 AM, Jun 06, 2025

The National Hockey League’s adorable "Stanley Pup" returns today and among several of the rescue dogs is the Colorado Avalanche's puppy pick, a 12-week-old beagle and cattle dog mix.

For the first time in the show's history, all 32 NHL teams will have one four-legged, furry representative at the "Stanley Pup." Each one is provided by the show's nonprofit partner Petco Love. The show begins airing on Friday.

The puppy for the Colorado Avalanche is Devon Stays. And without spoiling anything, "Stanley Pup" creator and producer Michael Levitt told us that you should definitely tune in to see how he fares.

Devon Stays is 12 weeks old and has already found a loving home.

In the show, the puppies are divided into four divisions. One will win the championship and take home the Stanley Pup trophy and "of course, bragging rights, or, as we like to say, wagging rights," Levitt explained.

Denver7 reached out to interview him earlier this week ahead of the broadcast.

He's not just a producer, but also a dog-rescuer, he told us. Several years ago, he adopted a dog named Trooper "who rocked my world," Levitt said.

Wanting to help other shelter dogs, he decided to create rescue-themed programming.

"And I had always loved that show, the 'Puppy Bowl,' with all the puppies in the football stadium," Levitt said. "And I realized there needs to be a version of that for hockey. "And of course, it should be called the 'Stanley Pup.' So when I approached the NHL, they are organically, a dog-loving league, and they loved the idea. We partnered on it, and here we are."

"We want people to see firsthand that rescue and shelter dogs are not secondhand animals," he continued. "It's most often people that have failed them. And these dogs are incredible, and they really deserve to be part of every family's starting lineup. So we think that when people see this show, it's going to be undeniable that these pups are incredible and worthy of being adopted."

Hear more from our interview with Michael Levitt in the video below, where we asked him how the show came about and what he wants people to learn from watching.

Producing the show — which he describes as "cuteness overload" — has been a rewarding and joyful experience, Levitt told Denver7.

"I mean, who wouldn't want to go to work and be surrounded by 32 puppies?" he asked, smiling.

Celebrity dog lovers will also make appearances, including Tim Allen, Cedric the Entertainer, Cheri Oteri, George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Bublé, Nikki Glaser, Paula Abdul and Will Reeve, the NHL reported.

The 90-minute show begins Friday at 3:30 p.m. on TruTV, following the Stanley Cup Final Game 3. You can also find it on Sportsnet Friday at 3 p.m., June 8 at 10 a.m. or June 9 at 12:30 p.m. It is also available to watch on the NHL Network June 8 at 5 p.m.

Denver7 had some special guests on Friday morning from the Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue, which is Colorado's connection with the "Stanley Pup." Watch the sweet moments in the video below.

Copyright 2025 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Goose has had a whirlwind year. The popular jam band is now touring as a four-piece, after letting go of drummer Jeff Arevelo early in the year, and has just released its seventh studio album, which includes versions of favorites that most fans have only heard at shows or on live albums as well as brand-new songs. The band will be coming to Colorado for a two-night run starting Friday, June 6, at Fiddler's Green Amphitheater, where Peter Anspach (keys/guitar/vocals), Rick Mitarotonda (guitar/vocals), Cotter Ellis (drums) and Trevor Weekz (bass) will deliver multiple sets of heavy jams.

When we catch up with Anspach, he's raving about the band's latest tour, which just kicked off in May, following an appearance at Bottle Rock Music Festival in Napa. "Epic festival," he says. "Great location, lots of beautiful pine trees, big field, lovely designs and all the stages were really cool, so I'd love to go back!"

Anspach is known for his high-energy, positive vibes, which are on display at every Goose show, whether at Red Rocks Amphitheatre or Fiddler's Green, where the band performed for the first time last year. "It was kind of a cool change from our typical Colorado thing, but I really liked it," he says of Fiddler's. "You know, there's a lot of room to grow in that venue, which is kind of cool. Overall, though, lovely, lovely experience."

He says the band has a home away from home in Colorado; Anspach even stayed here for a stint to live out ski-bum fantasies. "I love going hiking out there," he adds. "I did the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop before, and I've always loved Colorado for the skiing. I bought a season pass to Copper Mountain back in 2017, and that was just the best winter ever."

Since Goose really took off during the pandemic, it's a bit harder to take the time off for such indulgences now. But Anspach is reveling in the band's success and living out the musicians living out their dreams. He joined Goose in 2017 after having known Mitarotonda and Weekz in high school; his own band, Great Blue, would also perform alongside Goose (Great Blue still gets together to play some rare shows) throughout the early years. "We were all part of the same scene and loved music," he says. "That's what it's all about."

What's really mind-blowing is how Anspach and his Goose bandmates were fans in the jam scene for years before becoming a must-see group in the circuit, performing with their own heroes from Trey Anastasio to Bruce Hornsby. It's something that he still tries to wrap his head around. "I am so grateful that we're in this position, but like, at the same time, it's pretty wild," he says. "I was going to see Kung Fu, Dopapod, Papadosio and all those bands, and I was like, 'These bands are going to be the next big thing!' ... So it's kind of wild to be in a scenario where we're one of those bands. It's just really surreal and we're super grateful."

Of course, being in the jam scene also comes with a rabid, intense fan base. You could almost say it's akin to Nicki Minaj's Barbz (a little unhinged). But Goose tries not to pay much mind to any naysayers and netizens on the subreddits and Facebook groups. "I've heard there are positive and amazing things going on, as well as some people who are complainers," Anspach says. "And that's okay, they've gotta get their feelings out and that's fine. But at the end of the day, they're coming to the show, whether they're complaining online, it's all going to be fine. ... And then I'll see you later at the show to listen to music — that's what we're all here for anyway."

On Goose's current tour, Anspach says it's been exciting to perform new songs from the band's latest album, Everything Must Go. "It's always fun having fresh songs in the rotation," he says. With such a deep well of songs to choose from now, the band thinks ahead when it comes to planning sets for the tour, he adds: "We'll definitely plot out some ideas for the whole tour, but then we kind of take it week by week also. It kind of goes in cycles...and it's a pretty fluid process [that] starts out with broad strokes then becomes smaller and smaller."

In the making of the album, Goose turned to fan favorites from its live sets while also laying down new tunes, such as the groovy, funky "Dustin Hoffman." "We wanted to make sure we captured the best version on the tracks that we've been playing for a while, but they also didn't feel old to us by the time we got to the studio," Anspach says. "So it was like, these still feel fresh, and folks that haven't heard of us before, they're going to hear this album version as the first thing we produce. It doesn't matter how old the song is, it puts you in a certain focus and gives a new purpose and new life to the song. And then any new song that hasn't been heard live, it's kind of an exciting opportunity to just let the song be what it wants to be. That's kind of what we're doing, anyway. If you get out of the way and let the song do its thing, then usually good things happen."

Good things often happen when Goose lets go: The compositions of the members' jams are complex and life-affirming. This will also be Goose's first big tour in its four-piece setup, which will see the band performing with just one drummer for the first time. "We're down to a four-piece now, which I love," Anspach says. "It's easier to pick up on ideas and you hear each other a lot better. Overall, the vibe has been fantastic. I can't believe this is a tour where we have a bunch more shows because this is already feeling pretty great."

And Goose is bringing that energy to Fiddler's, Anspach promises. "We'll be doing two sets each night, God willing," he says. "We're going to do our best to make the shows as epic as possible. And you know, it's not lost on us that Colorado is just an amazing place and loves this type of music and has always loved us and been so supportive of us throughout the years, back to like, 2019, and earlier. So we're just so grateful for that. We always try and bring our best show."

Goose plays Fiddler's Green Amphitheater, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Greenwood Village, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7. Tickets are available via AXS.

DENVER — Several Denver metro area and Front Range counties were under a severe thunderstorm watch Thursday evening.

The watch included Denver, Arapahoe, Adams, Douglas, Larimer and Weld counties. The area under the watch also included the eastern plains and extended from the Wyoming state line to the New Mexico state line.

A tornado warning was issued at 3:30 p.m. for part of Washington County until 4 p.m.

Washington County received heavy hail, especially in Anton.

Credit: Joel Wagner

The Denver metro area and eastern Colorado have the potential for severe thunderstorms again Friday, with a threat of large hail.

Thunderstorms developed Thursday afternoon in the Denver area, with an earlier start in Colorado's high country. The mountains also saw widespread storms Thursday.

The 9NEWS Weather Impact Team is forecasting Friday to be a tad cooler and cloudier. That will nudge down the severe weather threat a bit. However, large hail and damaging winds will be concerns between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday

Highs on Friday will be in the upper 60s, more than 10 degrees below average.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Colorado and Kansas until 8 PM MDT pic.twitter.com/ainQiLUzJc

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) June 5, 2025

Colorado is trending drier and warmer for Saturday and Sunday, with only a few storms on Sunday afternoon. Saturday looks dry with just a few leftover storms in southern Colorado.

Sunday could have a conditional severe weather threat depending on how much moisture we keep in place, but for now, the weekend is certainly leaning drier and warmer than this week.

Next week is leaning warmer and drier, though Colorado will likely hold onto at least a few afternoon storms each day.

Denver 7-day forecast