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By: Jason M
MARLBOROUGH, MA – On Sunday morning, February 15th, Stop & Shop workers organized under United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1445—which represents nearly 8,000 Stop & Shop workers across northeastern New England—held a critical vote deciding whether to accept a new 4-year contract or to authorize a strike.
The date, February 15, 2026, was chosen as a result of a coordinated effort among UFCW Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445, and 1459, which represent a combined 28,000 Stop & Shop workers across New England. The date, which was two weeks before the then-current contract’s expiration, set a hard deadline for Stop & Shop to offer a good agreement, or face a potential strike. Jack Kenslea, a representative of UFCW Local 1445, provided Working Mass with comments regarding the challenges faced by the union during the bargaining process.
When asked about the choice of February 15th as the date for the vote, Kenslea said:
We made it clear to the company that we would either vote on a recommended tentative agreement or ask for a strike vote if we did not have something we could feel confident in recommending. This set a hard deadline for the company, as they knew they would have to get serious early if they wanted to avoid a strike authorization we could have in hand to bargain with and campaign around.
Healthcare, Wages, and Pensions Major Issues For Stop & Shop Workers
Healthcare, wages, and pensions were all major issues for the Stop & Shop workers during the collective bargaining process. In a time when rising healthcare costs and insurance prices are putting increasing financial burdens on working-class Americans, affordable healthcare was a must-have for Stop & Shop workers in their contract.
For UFCW, keeping healthcare costs low while seeking wage increases for their members was a major challenge. Kenslea indicated:
Given the overall climate in healthcare these days when many people are seeing their premiums jump by thirty or fifty percent, in some cases even higher, we are extremely proud that we were able to control these costs and maintain our strong, comprehensive healthcare plan for our members. It was clear that this was a high priority for many, many people, and there was a lot of uncertainty over what it would end up looking like. Controlling these costs while still seeking yearly wage increases was far from a guarantee, and it took a lot of work to get there.
Another major issue during the bargaining process was the reintroduction of a meat cutter apprenticeship program at Stop & Shop. In 2018, Stop & Shop removed in-store meat cutting from their stores. “This was something where the reaction of customers played as big of a role as the feedback from the workers,” said Kenslea. “It was clear the company had suffered as a result of removing it in 2018, as customers simply did not buy as much meat from Stop & Shop as they had in the past.”
A Victory Won By The Rank-And-File
A key factor in winning a good contract was the organizing done by the rank-and-file at Stop & Shop and their involvement in the bargaining process. Dialogue between the bargaining committee and the union’s rank-and-file ensured that the union would secure a strong contract.
There were numerous pieces our rank-and-file made possible. We deployed a negotiations survey at the beginning of last fall, so we had a very clear sense of what our members’ priorities were as we began the process of deliberation. We had a proposals subcommittee that reviewed where we stood as we headed into each session that provided an extra sounding board for our bargaining committee on how the language would impact members in the stores.
Jason M, a contributor to Working Mass, attended the contract vote alongside fellow Worcester DSA members. The proposed contract passed with a strong majority of union members voting yes. In a joint statement, the five UFCW Locals asserted that, “These agreements reflect the strength and unity of Stop & Shop workers who stood together to secure a contract that addresses their priorities.”
A UFCW spokesperson elaborated further, stating:
Through collective bargaining, our members achieved wage increases and protected strong health and pension benefits that working families rely on. When workers have a fair contract, it strengthens the stores they run every day and supports the customer experience and communities they proudly serve.
Speaking on the bargaining process, Kenslea argued:
Bargaining is frequently an uneven process of fits and starts. It seems slow and unproductive at the start, and then things start moving a lot quicker as you get closer to the deadline. All five of the New England locals were very clear from the beginning about what our priorities were, and we had a sense despite the slow start that we would get a deal before the expiration of the contract.
Fighting for higher wages, better healthcare, and better conditions is never an easy task. But there is no power greater than that emerging out of the union of workers. In the case of the contract won by Stop & Shop workers, many of the core demands of workers have been secured through 2030.
Jason M is a member of Worcester DSA and a contributor to Working Mass.
The post UFCW Local 1445 Secures New 4-Year Contract for Stop and Shop Workers appeared first on Working Mass.
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