Tentative Agreement Reached in Stop & Shop Strike

A tentative agreement has been reached between Stop & Shop and its striking employees, bringing an end to a work stoppage that reached its 10th day on Sunday.

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445 and 1459, which represent nearly 31,000 employees across Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, will return to work on Monday.

If ratified, the deal is for three years and will include increased pay for all associates, continued health coverage for those eligible and an ongoing defined benefit pension for those eligible.

The process of restocking shelves will begin immediately.

"We are incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who proudly stood together with us every day for a contract that invests in the communities we serve, and makes Stop & Shop a better place to work and a better place to shop," the union said in a statement released Sunday night. "Under this proposed contract, our members will be able to focus on continuing to help customers in our communities enjoy the best shopping experience possible and to keep Stop & Shop the number one grocery store in New England. The agreement preserves health care and retirement benefits, provides wage increases, and maintains time-and-a-half pay on Sunday for current members.

"Today is a powerful victory for the 31,000 hardworking men and women of Stop & Shop who courageously stood up to fight for what all New Englanders want – good jobs, affordable health care, a better wage, and to be treated right by the company they made a success."

Photo Credit: Michael Dwyer/AP

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