“At the beginning, I thought, ‘oh, this won’t last,’ but it doesn’t seem like anything is happening,” said Denise Trani, Stop & Shop worker. They’ve been picketing for nearly a week by holding signs and braving the elements in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They said they’re fighting to maintain their benefits and to keep overtime from holiday and Sunday work shifts.
Stop & Shop said it countered with healthcare benefits at below market costs, paid time off, pay increases for all associates and no changes to Sunday time and a half premiums for full-time workers. Current part-time workers would keep their current Sunday premium plan. To get a better idea of how the strike could impact the workers, customers and company in the long-term, WFSB spoke with an associate professor at Quinnipiac University. She said not only is Stop & Shop losing money through expiring food on a daily basis, it’s also losing customers.
“When you go to the grocery store, you get to know the people who work there,” said Julia Fullick-Jagiela, Quinnipiac University. “They come part of your family and communities want to invest in their families and they want to see companies invest in their families.”
The president of Stop & Shop provided a statement to WFSB. “We are committed to resolving our labor negotiations as quickly as possible so that our employees can return to their jobs and we can get back to better serving you and the community,” said Mark McGowan, president, Stop & Shop.
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