Stop & Shop Strike: 'Majority' Of Stores Open

Thousands of Stop & Shop workers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut remain on strike Friday, a day after walking out amid failed contract negotiations between their union and the company. The workers, represented by the United Food & Commercial Workers Locals 1445, 328, 371, 919 and 1459, walked off the job around 1:15 p.m. Thursday. Customers were asked to leave their groceries behind and leave the stores.

The walkouts affected 134 stores in Massachusetts, 92 in Connecticut and 27 in Rhode Island. A Stop & Shop spokesperson said in an email Friday the "majority" of its stores in Massachusetts will remain open. Banks and pharmacies will also be open even if the supermarket is closed; however, all gas stations will be closed.

How long the strike will last is anybody's guess. A Cranston, Rhode Island, worker told Patch's Rachel Nunes Thursday, "We could be here 10 minutes, 10 days, or 10 weeks. This is not what anybody at the store level wanted."

Sean Killiea, who works at the Brookline Stop & Shop, said employees are standing firm.

"We're just standing up saying enough's enough," Killiea told Patch's Jenna Fisher. "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 ... We just want what's fair."

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.

"Given that negotiations with assistance of the federal mediators are continuing, we are disappointed that the UFCW chose to order a work stoppage in an attempt to disrupt service at our stores," the company said in a statement Thursday. "Stop & Shop has contingency plans in place to minimize disruption."

Here is a summary of the negotiations, according to the union:

• The current contract expired February 23.
• Contract negotiations have been ongoing since January 14.
• Members of UFCW Locals 1459, 328, and 919 voted in favor of a "strike authorization" on Sunday, March 10, joining Locals 1445 and 371, whose members had already held similar votes.
• A strike authorization allows local union leadership to call for a strike at any moment during negotiations.

The last time Stop & Shop employees went on strike was in March 1988.

Check out more Patch coverage of the strikes Brookline, Rhode Island and Connecticut.