Somerville stop and shop8/13/2023 Stop & Shop added that in contrast to the company’s proposal, “which is better than most recent UFCW contract settlements and responsive to heavy non-union competition, the unions proposed a contract that would increase the company’s costs. The Locals provided no counter proposals to the mediators and simply stated they were proceeding with their plans.” “The mediators gave those proposals to the Locals late in the morning. “his morning the company made several suggestions to the federal mediators to encourage further bargaining,” Stop & Shop said. The company said it had still been trying to negotiate as recently as Thursday morning. The company will not give in, and it’s time for action.”īollen continued, “Stay strong, stay united, talk to the customers, and we’re going to stay till we win.” We told you we were going to fight like hell to get a good contract, and we’ve been trying to do that since January. We’re done playing games with this company. “We’re going to stick together,” Bollen said. The expected payout will be on April 25 for around $880 million.”īollen, the union president, said in his video message that the union would maintain solidarity. The union continued, “While Stop & Shop continues to propose drastically cutting worker benefits, Ahold shareholders voted on April 10 to give themselves an 11.1 percent raise in dividends over last year. “Stop & Shop’s parent company, Ahold Delhaize, saw over $2 billion in profit last year and got a US tax cut of $225 million in 2017,” the release said. The UFCW, in its statement Thursday, said Stop and Shop was flush with cash. “We were told it was always a possibility,” said Andre Benjamin, a deli clerk at the store. “Now that I know there’s a strike, I probably won’t come here till it’s done.”Īt the Stop & Shop location in Dorchester, Bob Berman, business agent for UFCW Local 1445, informed department heads of the stoppage around 12:30 p.m. “I was very surprised to see it happening when I here,” Shapiro said, adding that her partner belongs to a union and she supports them. “I hope not long, but it’s going to be what it is, and we gotta be here.”Ĭustomers were caught off guard, including Leah Shapiro, 53, who came to the store looking for ingredients for pasta sauce. “They seem like they want to take away more than they’re giving us,” Toppi said, referring to negotiations between unions and the company.Īnother worker, Frederick Newman, 47, of Sharon, said he was prepared to stay off the job for an extended period. Terriann Toppi, 61, a cash office manager at Stop & Shop, was among the picketing workers. They chanted, “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” Another chant: “Shut it down!” A third refrain went, “Stop & Shop, you can’t hide. The workers held signs bearing messages such as, “Please don’t cross the line.” We have deployed corporate personnel as well as temporary replacement workers, and we are working hard to reopen stores as soon as possible and to minimize any disruptions for our customers.”ĭozens of union members milled around the front of the Stop & Shop on McGrath Highway in Somerville on Thursday afternoon, urging people not to go in. Stop & Shop highlighted the same compensation points in its own statement and added: "Our associates' top priority will be restocking our stores so we can return to taking care of our customers and communities and providing them with the service they deserve.The company said it had “temporarily closed some stores and locked the doors in order to secure these locations for the safety of our customers and associates. In a joint statement on the day the tentative agreement was reached, the five union chapters said, "The agreement preserves health care and retirement benefits, provides wage increases, and maintains time-and-a-half pay on Sunday for current members." It was the first chapter to authorize a strike, and stores where its members work were the sites of appearances by presidential candidates.īoth the company and UFCW have declined to disclose full terms of the deal. Local 1445 set the tone throughout negotiations with Stop & Shop. The votes appear to be formalities the 31,000 workers who walked off the job April 11 returned to work on Monday. Four other chapters plan to vote by May 1. Local 1445 of the United Food & Commercial Workers union is the first to ratify a deal reached on Easter. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Ī union representing roughly one-third of the Stop & Shop workers who went on strike this month voted Wednesday night to officially accept the contract offer that ended the 11-day work stoppage. Facebook Email Stop & Shop workers strike outside the main entrance of the Somerville location on McGrath Highway.
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