UNI affiliate the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) announced on Sunday announced that a tentative agreement was reached on a new contract for the 31,000 Stop & Shop workers on strike.
The workers walked off their jobs on April 11 to protest the company’s proposed cuts to health care, take-home pay, and other benefits.
Representatives from UFCW said,”We are incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who proudly stood together with us every day for a contract that invests in the communities we serve, and makes Stop & Shop a better place to work and a better place to shop.”
“Under this proposed contract, our members will be able to focus on continuing to help customers in our communities enjoy the best shopping experience possible and to keep Stop & Shop the number one grocery store in New England. The agreement preserves health care and retirement benefits, provides wage increases, and maintains time-and-a-half pay on Sunday for current members.
“Today is a powerful victory for the 31,000 hardworking men and women of Stop & Shop who courageously stood up to fight for what all New Englanders want – good jobs, affordable health care, a better wage, and to be treated right by the company they made a success.”
Head of UNI Commerce Mathias Bolton said, ”This has been an historic strike – Stop and Shop workers have shown that strike action works. It’s a massive win for workers everywhere – 31,000 workers sent a strong message to management that if you stand up for your colleagues, your families and good jobs, the world will sit up and take notice.”
