The King Soopers union worker strike ended on Monday night when both the grocery store chain and the union reached a return-to-work settlement.

From Speer to the southern 'burbs, we were always excited to find what was in store. But until the picketing ends — no more.

More than 10,000 King Soopers grocery workers across the Denver area ended their 12-day strike late Monday after union leaders said they secured some basic protections for returning workers and agreed to resume bargaining with the Kroger-owned chain.

After nearly two weeks of striking, King Soopers and its workers’ union announced an end to the strike at midnight Monday. The return-to-work settlement will allow negotiations to continue, while ending worker disruptions at the King Soopers stores.

After two weeks of striking, around 10,000 unionized Colorado grocery workers are heading back to work at King Soopers, a Kroger-owned regional chain. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 7 and King Soopers signed a return to work agreement late Monday night and secured to a 100-day period of labor peace while contract negotiations continue.