10,000 Stop & Shop workers to vote on authorizing strike

DEDHAM, Mass. — A union representing nearly 10,000 Stop and Shop workers in eastern and central Massachusetts will be holding a meeting on Sunday for members to vote on whether to authorize a strike.

Stop and Shop and the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1445 have been negotiating a new contract for the past month, but haven't reached an agreement.

This weekend's vote wouldn't be the start of a strike, but would give the union permission to call a strike at any point.

The union claims the company is trying to take benefits away from employees, including time-and-a-half pay for workers on Sundays and holidays, which is part of the current contract. Massachusetts is in the process of phasing out a law requiring premium Sunday and holiday pay for retail workers.

Their current contract is set to expire at midnight on Saturday.

Both sides will continue negotiating on Saturday.

Local 1445 represents workers at Stop and Shop stores in Acton, (2) Allston, Amesbury, Andover, Arlington, Bedford, Bellingham, (2) Beverly, Boston, Brookline, Chelmsford, Danvers, Dedham, (2) Dorchester, Everett, Foxboro, (2) Framingham, Franklin, Gloucester, Grafton, Hudson, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Methuen, Milford, Natick, Newton, North Andover, North Reading, Norwood, Peabody, Plainville, Reading, (2) Revere, Roslindale, Roxbury, Saugus, Shrewsbury, (3) Somerville, South Boston, Stoneham, Stoughton, Sturbridge, Swampscott, Walpole, (2) Watertown, Wayland, (2) Westborough, Winchester, Woburn and (3) Worcester.

Local 1445 is working with UFCW Locals 328, 371, 919 and 1459 to negotiate with Stop and Shop on behalf of more than 31,500 workers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Stop and Shop is owned by Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize. The chain employs more than 61,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.

Cox Media Group