FREETOWN, Mass. — Three New England state treasurers are calling on Stop & Shop to continue contract negotiations.
The treasurers from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut wrote a letter, urging Stop and Shop’s parent company to engage in good faith talks.
“Stop & Shop plays a vital role in our states—serving our communities, employing thousands of workers, and contributing to our local economies,” the letter said. “We value the company’s presence in our states, just as we value the well-being of the workers who make your business run every day,” it added.
Last week, Teamsters Local 25 held protests outside the distribution center in Freetown.
The Quincy-headquartered grocery chain is threatening to subcontract work and close its Freetown distribution center unless Teamsters workers give up their union healthcare plans, according to Teamsters Warehouse Division Director Tom Erickson and President of Teamsters Local 25 Thomas G. Mari.
“Reports that Stop & Shop has proposed eliminating union health coverage and is threatening to shift warehousing operations out of Massachusetts if workers do not accept these terms raise serious concerns about the long-term stability of the company and its relationship with employees, customers, and the communities it serves,” the letter also wrote.
“If Stop & Shop continues down this path, threatening the livelihoods of more than 900 Teamsters, we will take action. We will extend picket lines to every Stop & Shop store in New England and bring the full force of our union to this fight,” Teamsters said in a statement.
Stop & Shop says if no contract is ratified Friday, they’re closing the distribution center.
“The Teamsters will never let a foreign-owned corporation bully American workers into accepting substandard health care. Our members will not be intimidated. We will not back down.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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