WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. -- The longtime president of a union representing thousands of Colorado grocery workers is receiving his union vehicle as a retirement gift.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 President Ernie Duran Jr. lost a re-election bid this year and is being replaced on Jan. 1 by Kim Cordova, who raised questions during her campaign about Duran's spending.

According to published reports, Duran will receive a 2007 Ford F350 pickup purchased with union dues as a retirement gift, and departing secretary-treasurer Stan Kania will receive a union-purchased 2006 Ford Five Hundred sedan.

Duran had been president of the food workers local since 1998.

Duran and Kania declined interviews through a union spokeswoman.

Past presidents since 1973 said they didn't receive vehicles as retirement gifts.

The UFCW 7 associate legal counsel was Duran's daughter, Crisanta Duran, 29. She stepped down from the position recently to run as a candidate for Colorado House District 5, to replace term-limited Rep. Joel Judd.

Two weeks before she stepped down, the executive board of Local 7 voted to automatically endorse any staff member who runs for public office and to give the maximum donation allowed by law to their campaign. That means Local 7 donated $4,250 to her campaign, according to the report.

Duran and his son and daughter were members of the Local 7 executive committee.

In September, CALL7 investigators reported that Ernie Duran hired relatives at high salaries, and former employees said he fired people after they had questioned union spending on certain food, liquor and trips.