FREETOWN (WBSM) — As the deadline loomed today to get a deal done before Stop & Shop would begin the process of shuttering its Freetown distribution center, the grocery chain reached a tentative agreement with Teamsters Local 25 on a new six-year contract.
Once ratified, the contract will preserve the more than 900 union jobs at the facility. Had the agreement not been reached and Stop & Shop closed the facility, those jobs would have been outsourced to a third-party company.
Now, the distribution center will continue operations and those jobs will remain local, pending ratification of the new contract, which is expected to happen within the next week.
What Stop & Shop Is Saying About the Deal
Stop & Shop President Roger Wheeler pointed out that the new contract “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 costs.”
“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,” Wheeler said.
What the Teamsters Are Saying About the Deal
Teamsters Local 25 President Thomas G. Mari called it “the strongest contract in the supermarket industry.”
“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,” he said. “We encourage all citizens to utilize Stop & Shop for the best groceries available in New England.”
New Bedford-Area Shopping Carts, Ranked
Shopping carts on the SouthCoast can be hit or miss. Barry Richard visited many stores across the New Bedford-Dartmouth-Fairhaven area and came up with his ranking of the various retailers’ shopping carts, from worst to best.
Gallery Credit: Barry Richard