New England Grocery Workers Win Contract

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Stop & Shop workers represented by five United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local unions in New England ratified a three-year contract last weekend that secures them affordable, quality health care. The coordinated effort in New England was part of a nationwide bargaining program; over 400,000 UFCW grocery workers across the country and in Canada are negotiating new contracts throughout 2007. Contracts covering Metro Washington area grocery workers expire early next year but negotiations could begin this fall. Coordinated action with supporters and customers was key to the workers' success,” said UFCW. “Community members and grocery workers sent emails of support, called store managers and Stop & Shop's CEO, wrote letters to the editors of local newspapers, and signed petitions promising not to shop at Stop & Shop if workers were forced to strike.” Click here for more information on the grocery workers' campaign. Photo from the UFCW website