Unions representing Connecticut Stop & Shop workers authorize strikes
Hartford — Members of the the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 919 union, which represents Stop & Shop workers in southeastern Connecticut and throughout the state, voted Sunday afternoon to authorize a strike amid a contract dispute between the grocery store company and its workers.
Local 919 is one of five New England-based unions representing more than 30,000 Stop & Shop workers throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to authorize strikes Sunday, said Jason Frechett, a business representative of the Local 919 union.
In January, the five unions began negotiating new three-year contracts before the current agreement expired Feb. 23. Additional bargaining sessions are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
“If things stall at the bargaining table this week, this now means we can pull the workers out and we can hold a strike,” Frechett said. “We can now pull the workers out from working at any point in time. All the workers at all the Stop & Shop stores in New England will no longer be workers during a strike."
UFCW workers are upset with multiple provisions of Stop & Shop's contract proposal. Those issues include increased costs for health insurance, changes to premium pay for those working Sundays, and a lack of raises.
Sunday's vote to authorize a strike does not mean one will occur. In southeastern Connecticut there are Stop & Shop stores in Groton, Waterford, East Lyme, Stonington, Norwich and Montville.
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