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United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445 workers in Chelmsford voted to ratify a three-year contract with Stop & Shop on April 24, ending an 11-day strike that shut down 240 of the company’s 415 stores throughout New England.
Stop & Shop workers and company officials reached a tentative agreement on April 21 making it possible for the grocery stores to re-open on Monday, April 22.
Stop & Shop’s website had a brief message on its home page: “The strike is over,” it said. “We are now working quickly to restock our shelves.”
The workers began picketing against the Quincy-based company on April 11. The Stop & Shop chain has about 31,000 workers in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
According to a spokesman for UFCW Local 1445 workers in Chelmsford, the logjam was over wages, pensions, and health care premium costs.
The company was offering a two-tiered system that would give fewer benefits to new workers.
Stop & Shop reportedly lost about $100 million during the 11-day strike.
The remaining four union locals will vote on their three-year contracts in the coming days.
