Rhode Island Stop & Shop Union Workers Approve New Contract

Rhode Island Stop & Shop union workers approved a new contract on Monday night following an 11-day strike. The contract includes pay raises, the protection of health benefits and up to five weeks vacation. The strike started on April 11 and lasted 11 days as 31,000 union workers across Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut walked off the job.

The union meetings were held at Ambrosia's Weddings and Events on Washington Street in Foxborough. Union officials said voters approved a contract which included:

• Wage increases for all workers
• Fully-funded pension plans for all full-time and part-time workers
• Protected time-and-a-half pay on Sundays
• Healthcare that includes coverage for spouses
• Free dental and vision
• Five weeks paid vacation
• No reduction in sick time or vacation time
• Pay increase when moving from part-time to full-time

Union workers went on strike on April 11 after months of contract negotiations broke down. According to an estimate from the company's parent company, Stop & Shop lost $100 million during the strike.

A tentative agreement was struck on Easter Sunday, and union members agreed to return to work the next day.

During the strike, some stores closed, but most in Rhode Island remained open with skeleton crews consisting of store management and corporate employees. Butcher shops, deli counters and bake shops closed without the necessary workers, leaving mostly non perishable goods as the only options. Customers overwhelmingly supported striking workers, with an estimated 75 percent of Stop & Shop's most loyal customers choosing to shop elsewhere.

Patch's full coverage of the Stop & Shop strike:

• Stop & Shop Lost $100 Million During Strike
• Stop & Shop Traffic Down 75 Percent During Strike: Data
• Stop & Shop Strike Over As Worker Pay Raises Approved
• Stop & Shop: Many 'Myths' Amid Worker Strike
• Stop & Shop Apologizes To Customers As Strike Enters Day 7
• Stop & Shop Strike Day 5: Food Donated To Pantries
• Stop & Shop Strike Day 2: Some Stores Reopen
• Stop & Shop Strike Detours 17 RIPTA Routes
• Rhode Island Stop & Shop Workers Go On Strike

Patch Reporter Jimmy Bentley contributed to this report.