Brookline Stop & Shop Workers Join Strike

BROOKLINE, MA —Thousands of Stop & Shop employees across the region walked off the job to strike Thursday, after their union and the company failed to reach a contract agreement.

At 1 p.m., workers across Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, including in Brookline walked off the job. The workers are represented by the United Food & Commercial Workers Locals 1445, 328, 371, 919 and 1459.

In some places the stores closed down, but Brookline's Stop & Shop remained open. In a statement, Stop & Shop corporate said they were "disappointed" in the strike and said mediators had stepped in to help with continued negotiations.

"Stop & Shop has contingency plans in place to minimize disruption," the statement read.

Workers' previous contract expired in February. At the center of negotiations was time-and-a-half pay for Sundays and holidays, which the union said the company was trying to strip away.
Stop & Shop said at the time the agreement had to be in line with industry changes.

With minimum wages gradually increasing each year until it reaches $15 an hour, Massachusetts is in the process of phasing out time-and-a-half pay for Sundays and holidays.

Sean Killiea who lives in Quincy but works at the Brookline store said he plans to strike until a new contract is worked out.

"We're just standing up saying enough's enough. The end goal is just a fair contract. That's all we want we don't need anything extra. They're the number one corporation," said Killiea. "We just want what's fair."

The last time the union went on strike was 1988.

Strike: Thousands of Stop & Shop Workers Walk Out

Thousands Walk Off The Job At Stop & Shop