Macy's Employee Strike Averted With Tentative Contract

One day after announcing a strike could come "at any minute," Macy's employees across Rhode Island and Massachusetts agreed to a tentative contract this week that includes time-and-a-half pay on Sundays, wage increases and more. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445, the same union that represents Stop & Shop workers who recently went on strike, has been in negotiations with Macy's for four months.

On Thursday, the Rhode Island AFL-CIO said that along with increasing pay for workers, the tentative agreement reduces health care premiums.

On Monday, a union spokesperson said a strike could happen "at any minute." The tentative contract agreement was reached on Tuesday.

"We were determined to make sure our members got the fair contracts they deserve," Brian Sangster, the union's negotiator, said in a statement. "We're the ones who keep the stores running and the customers coming back, and the company needs to acknowledge that fact by giving us the wages and benefits we've earned."

Had the agreement not been reached, Macy's workers in Warwick, Rhode Island, and Boston, Braintree, Natick and Peabody in Massachusetts were poised to walk off the job after their contract expired in February.

READ MORE: Union Representing Macy's Workers Votes To Strike