Stop & Shop Strike: Stores To Remain Open On Easter Sunday

Several days of wet weather couldn't dampen the spirits of striking Stop & Shop union workers on Saturday, as the strike entered its tenth day with no end in sight. Even as aisles remain empty and customers go elsewhere for holiday food shopping, a company spokesperson said donations of Easter toys and candy have been made to organizations in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Here in Rhode Island, Easter stuffed animals were donated to the Child Life Department at Hasbro Children's Hospital and toys were given to Connecting for Children and Families in Woonsocket, the company said in its Saturday media update.

With both Passover and Easter celebrations taking place over the weekend, the company stands to lose millions of dollars in sales to other grocery stores in the area. Across the state, Stop & Shop parking lots have been deserted as stores remain shuttered or customers refuse to cross the picket line.

Reopened Stop & Shop stores will be open on Easter Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Jennifer Brogan, a company spokesperson said on Saturday. The deli, bake shop and seafood departments will remain closed, as well as the in-store Citizen's Bank branches, which will be closed as scheduled for the holiday.

Striking workers once again thanked the community for their ongoing support.

"For so many of us, this weekend is about spending time with family and about helping customers get ready for the holidays with their own families," the workers wrote on the strike's official Facebook page. "From our family to yours, thank you for standing with us day after day!"

No compromise has been reached between the union and the company. On Friday, Stop & Shop said negotiations continued into the evening hours.

"We remain focused on reaching fair new agreements that provide market-leading wages, excellent health benefits for eligible associates and increased pension contributions for all of our associates," the company said in a statement.