Stop & Shop, Teamsters Reach Agreement In Mass — CT Will See No Strike

CONNECTICUT — There will not be a strike at any of the Connecticut Stop & Shop stores, thanks to a settlement at a Massachusetts warehouse and distributions center between the Teamsters union and executives from the supermarket chain at Friday's deadline.

The Teamsters Local 25 and Stop & Shop Friday reached a tentative agreement on a new, six-year contract for associates at Stop & Shop's Freetown (MA) distribution center. As a result, and pending ratification, the Freetown distribution center will continue operations, preserving more than 900 union jobs.

Both Teamsters and Stop & Shop officials engaged in multiple discussions over the past several days to reach an agreement that would "support associates" and align with "the company's strategy of improving the customer experience and lowering prices," according to the announcement.

Teamsters Local 25 associates working at the Freetown distribution center will have the opportunity to ratify the new contract within the next week, both sides said. The center of the dispute was heath insurance versus a Stop & Shop streamlining plan. The chain had threatened to close the Massachusetts plant and go to a third-party service if an agreement was not reached by Friday.

The closure would have been in June, but the new contract tossed the idea off the table. The Teamsters said a picket line would be staged at every New England store if the closure were announced.

"I am thrilled that we were able to work together on a new contract that both provides an outstanding package of wages and benefits to our associates and supports us in our strategy of improving the customer experience by reducing operating costs," Stop & Shop President Roger Wheeler said. "Stop & Shop continues to put care for our people at the forefront of everything we do, and we are proud to continue our legacy as one of the region’s largest union employers in the retail business."

The Teamsters seemed satisfied.

"Today our membership at Stop & Shop achieved the strongest contract in the supermarket industry," Teamsters Local 25 President Thomas G. Mari said. "We are proud of our members' solidarity and commitment to remain united throughout negotiations. The final agreement not only contained significant increases in wages and working conditions but also provided job security to more than 900 Teamsters for the foreseeable future. We encourage all citizens to utilize Stop & Shop for the best groceries available in New England."