Latest news with #ThomasG.Mari
CBS News
01-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Stop & Shop Freetown distribution center to remain open as Teamsters, company reach deal
FREETOWN - Teamsters Local 25 said it has reached a tentative agreement with Stop & Shop that will keep the company's Freetown distribution center open. Contract affects 900 employees Stop & Shop had demanded changes to workers' health insurance or said it would close the distribution center, saying the company needs to cut operating costs to lower prices. The company said it could save money by closing the Freetown distribution center but would keep the center if workers changed their health insurance. Stop & Shop originally wanted to put the workers on the same health care plan that management has and offered the Freetown employees a 25% raise over five years. Teamsters rejected the proposal, threatening to strike at all Stop & Shop stores in New England if the Freetown facility closed. State treasurers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut wrote a letter to Stop & Shop's Amsterdam-based parent company Ahold Delhaize, warning a strike "would have far-reaching operational and economic consequences." The proposed six-year contract will keep the Freetown facility open, saving the jobs of 900 employees at the distribution center. "I am thrilled that we were able to work together on a new contract that 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 operating costs," said Stop & Shop President Roger Wheeler. Teamsters to vote on contract within the week The new contract will give new hires an 80% pay increase over the six years, while longer-term workers will see about a 30% raise. The agreement also preserves the Teamsters' health care and increases pension contributions. "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. We encourage all citizens to utilize Stop & Shop for the best groceries available in New England," said Thomas G. Mari, president of Teamsters Local 25. The Teamsters will vote on the new contract within the week. in 2024.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New England state treasurers call on Stop & Shop to negotiate as feud with Teamsters continues
Three New England state treasurers are calling on Stop & Shop to continue contract negotiations. The treasurers from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut wrote a letter, urging Stop and Shop's parent company to engage in good faith talks. 'Stop & Shop plays a vital role in our states—serving our communities, employing thousands of workers, and contributing to our local economies,' the letter said. 'We value the company's presence in our states, just as we value the well-being of the workers who make your business run every day,' it added. Last week, Teamsters Local 25 held protests outside the distribution center in Freetown. The Quincy-headquartered grocery chain is threatening to subcontract work and close its Freetown distribution center unless Teamsters workers give up their union healthcare plans, according to Teamsters Warehouse Division Director Tom Erickson and President of Teamsters Local 25 Thomas G. Mari. 'Reports that Stop & Shop has proposed eliminating union health coverage and is threatening to shift warehousing operations out of Massachusetts if workers do not accept these terms raise serious concerns about the long-term stability of the company and its relationship with employees, customers, and the communities it serves,' the letter also wrote. 'If Stop & Shop continues down this path, threatening the livelihoods of more than 900 Teamsters, we will take action. We will extend picket lines to every Stop & Shop store in New England and bring the full force of our union to this fight,' Teamsters said in a statement. Stop & Shop says if no contract is ratified Friday, they're closing the distribution center. 'The Teamsters will never let a foreign-owned corporation bully American workers into accepting substandard health care. Our members will not be intimidated. We will not back down.' This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
