Stop & Shop, Teamsters reach tentative contract agreement

FREETOWN, Mass. (WLNE) — Stop & Shop and Teamsters Local 25 released a joint statement Friday that said they had reached a tentative agreement on a new, six-year contract for associates at the company’s Freetown distribution center.

The statement said that the distribution center will remain open, and that 900 union jobs would be preserved.

“I am thrilled that we were able to work together on a new contract that both provides an outstanding package of wages and benefits to our associates and supports us in our strategy of improving the customer experience by reducing operating costs,” President of Stop & Shop Roger Wheeler said. “Stop & Shop continues to put care for our people at the forefront of everything we do, and we are proud to continue our legacy as one of the region’s largest union employers in the retail business.”

The union had originally argued that its members did not want to lose their traditional healthcare plan, and the company threatened to outsource the warehouse’s work, with the union threatening in turn to boycott and picket.

Representatives from the union said the new deal “preserves the current healthcare plan.”

“Today our membership at Stop & Shop achieved the strongest contract in the supermarket industry,” Teamsters Local 25 President Thomas Mari said. “We are proud of our members’ solidarity and commitment to remain united throughout negotiations. The final agreement not only contained significant increases in wages and working conditions but also provided job security to more than 900 Teamsters for the foreseeable future. We encourage all citizens to utilize Stop & Shop for the best groceries available in New England.”