Union declares victory as Stop & Shop strike ends with deal to raise wages
"'When workers fight, workers win': Union declares victory as Stop & Shop strike ends with deal to raise wages," 22 April 2019
The union representing tens of thousands of striking Stop & Shop workers declared victory Sunday after it reached a tentative agreement with management to increase wages and preserve employee benefits that were under threat... The deal brings to an end the largest private-sector strike in years, which lasted 11 days and spanned three New England states. The walk-out began as a protest against Stop & Shop's effort to slash benefits and increase employees' healthcare costs. Union members—who are expected to return to work Monday—will soon vote on whether to approve the three-year agreement, which reportedly raises wages, preserves retirement and healthcare benefits, and upholds time-and-a-half pay on Sundays.
... The agreement came as the strike's major impact on Stop & Shop operations was becoming more evident by the day. As the Boston Globe reported, "visits to the grocery chain by regular customers dropped by a whopping 75 percent" in the first few days of the walk-out. "We are incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who proudly stood together with us every day for a contract that invests in the communities we serve, and makes Stop & Shop a better place to work and a better place to shop," said UFCW.