Strike threat looming at Stop & Shop

WINSTED — A potential strike by thousands of Stop & Shop Supermarket employees could result in service disruption as well as several of the grocery stores, including the Winsted location, having to close temporarily.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union’s contract with the supermarket chain expired on Feb. 20 after the two sides were unable to reach a labor agreement. Stop & Shop, a chain that was begun as Economy Grocery Stores in Massachusetts in 1914, was acquired by the Dutch food retailer, Ahold, in 1996.

On Sunday, hundreds of members of the union’s Local 371 — including Winsted Stop & Shop employees — held a contract ratification meeting at the Marriott Hotel in Rocky Hill.

At that meeting, those in attendance unanimously rejected the company’s contract proposal and then unanimously voted to authorize a strike, Local 371 President Brian Petronella told The Journal Monday.

All five of the union’s local chapters in New England that include Stop & Shop employees voted to authorize a strike last week, Petronella said.

He added, however, that a strike will be called “only if necessary,� as the union has granted Stop & Shop officials a seven-day extension with 24 hours’ notice before there will be any kind of job action taken by its members.

The union is looking for improved wages, health insurance benefits and pension plans.

In anticipation of a potential strike, Stop & Shop has been advertising help wanted newspaper notices looking for temporary replacement workers in the event there is a strike or lockout due the current labor dispute.

The Winsted store employs about 100 Local 371 members, Petronella said.

But Faith Weiner, a spokesperson for the supermarket chain, told The Journal Tuesday that the two sides were already back at the bargaining table that day in Rhode Island “working toward an agreement.�

“There isn’t an imminent strike,� Weiner said.

The last time union members authorized a strike was three years ago during negotiations for the previous contract with the company.

The last time Stop & Shop stores were closed in the region due to a labor dispute was in 1997.

“Stores were locked down for about 24 hours,� Petronella said.

The union president said he hoped that that kind of action, taken by either side, will not be necessary to reach an agreement this time.

“I’m cautiously optimistic,� he said.

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