11/20: Chaos at the grocery workers' union

November 20, 2009
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Who's in control at Colorado's grocery-workers union? It's a tougher question than it sounds.

More on that in a moment on the Face The State Radio Minute.

Colorado's grocery-workers union is threatening a strike. But before they go full-bore against Kroger and Safeway, perhaps they should get their own house in order. The facts are this: Ernest Duran, president of the UFCW Local 7, has enjoyed quite the posh lifestyle in recent years, taking lavish trips and buying Bronco's season tickets with his members' dues. He's even hired his own daughter as the union's legal counsel. This behavior doesn't sit well with members, who resent his obvious hubris. A recent leadership election swept the Duran clan from power. But before stepping down at the end of the year, Duran & Co. are challenging the election results. Meanwhile, UFCW wages war against the state's grocery chains. Can the union fight two wars simultaneously?

I'm Brad Jones.