Teamsters Threaten Picket Lines At All 83 Connecticut Stop & Shops

CONNECTICUT — The Teamsters union is threatening to set up picket lines at its 83 Connecticut stores — and the rest of New England — amid animated verbal wrangling over a distribution center contract in Massachusetts. Demonstrations could begin at the end of this month, according to a deadline.

The dispute centers around Teamsters members accusing Stop & Shop of pushing employees at a distribution center in Freetown, MA, to accept what the union considers a substandard health care plan. Stop & Shop officials are saying the company is trying to cut "high" operational costs at the center.

"Stop & Shop is driving forward a multi-year strategy that includes efforts to lower prices and improve the in-store experience," a statement from the company said. "An important component of this is reducing overall costs — and that includes the high operational costs at our distribution facility in Freetown, MA. Stop & Shop solicited and received third party bids showing we could achieve millions in annual savings by transferring the work done at our Freetown distribution center to a third party. Because of our commitment to our union associates, we approached Teamsters Local 25 leadership with a request to identify only a fraction of that annual savings in our new contract."

The potential moves were termed "blatant union busting" and "threats to strip workers of their health care" by Tom Erickson, the Teamsters warehouse division director, and Thomas G. Mari, the president of Teamsters Local 25.

They continued, "The Teamsters unequivocally condemn Stop & Shop‘s threats to subcontract work and close the Freetown distribution center unless hardworking Teamsters give up their union health care plan. Ahold Delhaize — the Dutch-Belgian parent company of Stop & Shop — raked in nearly $94 billion in sales last year, but its greedy, morally bankrupt executives are demanding sacrifices from the very workers who made that success possible."

Stop & Shop officials said that, based on the analysis, the company thinks, "it's possible to achieve these labor savings while still offering significant wage increases and maintaining pension benefits."

They said the proposed health plan move would be "more competitive."

The plan, "is the same plan that management and other associates at the facility have," company officials said.

If a new contract that "reaches the labor savings needed" is not ratified by February 28th, Stop & Shop "will move forward with an outsourcing agreement and close the facility," they added.

Teamsters officials retorted by saying, "If Stop & Shop continues down this path, threatening the livelihoods of more than 900 Teamsters, we will take action. We will extend picket lines to every Stop & Shop store in New England and bring the full force of our union to this fight."

They continued, "The Teamsters will never let a foreign-owned corporation bully American workers into accepting substandard health care. Our members will not be intimidated. We will not back down."

Stop and Shop officials said the decision is not being taken lightly.

"We care deeply about our associates and maintaining our presence in Freetown," they said, "It is critical that the local collaborates with us on a new agreement that achieves the savings needed to do so."

Stop and Shop's Connecticut locations are:

• Berlin (1)
• Bloomfield (1)
• Branford (1)
• Bridgeport (2)
• Bristol (2)
• Canaan (1)
• Cheshire (1)
• Clinton (1)
• Colchester (1)
• Cromwell (1)
• Danbury (1)
• Darien (1)
• Dayville (1)
• East Hampton (1)
• East Haven (1)
• East Lyme (1)
• Enfield (1)
• Fairfield (2)
• Glastonbury (2)
• Granby (1)
• Greenwich (2)
• Groton (1)
• Hamden (1)
• Hartford (1)
• Litchfield (1)
• Madison (1)
• Manchester (1)
• Meriden (1)
• Middletown (1)
• Milford (1)
• Monroe (1)
• Naugatuck (1)
• New Britain (1)
• New Fairfield (1)
• New Haven (2)
• New Milford (1)
• Newington (2)
• Newtown (1)
• North Haven (1)
• Norwalk (2)
• Norwich (1)
• Old Saybrook (1)
• Pawcatuck(1)
• Putnam (1)
• Ridgefield (1)
• Rocky Hill (1)
• Seymour (1)
• Shelton (1)
• Simsbury (1)
• South Windsor(1)
• Southbury(1)
• Southington(1)
• Stamford (1)
• Stratford (1)
• Torrington(1)
• Trumbull(1)
• Uncasville (1)
• Unionville (1)
• Vernon (2)
• Wallingford (1)
• Waterbury (3)
• Waterford (1)
• Watertown (1)
• West Hartford (2)
• West Haven (1)
• Westport (1)
• Wethersfield (1)
• Willimantic (1)
• Wilton (1)
• Windsor (1)
• Winsted (1)