Workers put Stop & Shop on notice for strike - Greenwichtime

Workers put Stop & Shop on notice for strike - Greenwichtime



Stop & Shop's five unions can go out on strike any time after 3 p.m. Thursday.

That's because the bargaining units, which represent the supermarket chain's 40,000 hourly employees, served formal notice across the negotiating table Wednesday afternoon in Providence, R.I., where talks between labor and management have been underway for days.

The unions' three-year contract with Stop & Shop expired Feb. 21, and their next agreement would carry them through February 2013.

"We got a proposal from the company, and it's not acceptable," said Brian Petronella, president of Local 371, which represents 5,000 workers employed in Stop & Shop's meat, deli and fish departments. "I hand delivered our notice to Mark McGowan, the division presipresident."

According to the notice, the collective bargaining units reserve their right to strike anytime after 3 p.m. Thursday.

Nevertheless, Petronella said, negotiations will continue. Petronella said no strike has been called yet. "I'm going to keep negotiating," he said, adding there could be a possible job action after "that time and date."

Reaction from Stop & Shop was swift.

"This is not unusual in labor negotiations, but nonetheless they are free to initiate a job action as of 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon," Faith Weiner, senior director of public relations for Stop & Shop, said Wednesday afternoon. "And should they choose to do so, we are free to use our temporary replacement workers to operate our stores."