The strike will affect 77 stores in Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties, as well as in Boulder and Louisville.

After months-long negotiations between King Soopers and its union employees, more than 8,500 King Soopers employees went on strike across the Denver metro and Front Range.

On Thursday, workers at 77 King Soopers stores across the Denver metro area started a strike after months of negotiations.

Some of the key sticking points are staffing shortages, health care reserves, price gouging, and eliminating seniority-based scheduling protections.

This is the second contract in a row that workers at King Soopers have launched a major strike. Three years ago roughly 8,000 workers walked off the job for 10 days with the union raising the demand for a $6 an hour across the board wage increase.

Legal battles continue as the strike at King Soopers locations across Colorado's Front Range near one week. As the strike continues, ripple effects are impacting more than just grocery store workers and store earnings;

King Soopers officials announced earlier this week that they will be seeking a temporary restraining order against union picketers, claiming 'unsafe conditions.' This is following the strikes that began last week across Colorado.