FOXBORO — A local union representing about 9,500 Stop & Shop workers from the South Shore, Cape Cod and Rhode Island authorized a strike Sunday amid contentious contract negotiations with the supermarket chain.

Members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 328 voted to allow a strike at a packed meeting in an event hall at Ambrosia Weddings & Events in Foxboro on Sunday afternoon. The last contract, which covered five local unions representing more than 31,000 workers, expired on Feb. 23. All five unions have now authorized strikes.

UFCW Local 328 president Tim Melia said Stop & Shop was trying to reduce health care benefits, which would reduce take-home pay for workers. The company also wants to replace wage increases with bonuses, Melia said.

"This is unacceptable. They are looking to save millions of dollars off the backs of these hard-working people," Melia said. "(The strike) would be to try and get them to give these people a contract they deserve."

Melia said there is no timeline yet for a strike, which would be called for by a committee.

In a statement Sunday, Stop & Shop said it was the only large fully unionized supermarket remaining in New England. The grocery chain said its full-time employees were among the region's highest paid in the industry.

"We are working hard to reach strong new contracts that will continue to provide highly competitive wages, comprehensive health care coverage and, unlike any other area food retailers, a defined benefit pension," the statement read. "Stop & Shop has also committed up to $2 billion to upgrade our stores over the next several years to better serve our customers and communities as we also lower prices and expand opportunities for our associates."

Talks between the two sides have not completely broken down, with two bargaining sessions scheduled this week.

A local union representing Eastern and Central Massachusetts, UFCW Local 1445, was the first to authorize a strike, on Feb. 24 in Randolph. A Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont local union authorized a strike last week. Another Connecticut local union and a Western Massachusetts local union joined the South Shore local and authorized Sunday.

"Do we want to strike? No. We want to be back in our stores helping our customers," said Joyce Babineau, a member of UFCW Local 328's bargaining team. "I've been with this company 28 years and this is the worst it's ever been. Our customers deserve better. We deserve better."

Based in Quincy, Stop & Shop has more than 400 stores in New England, New York and New Jersey. Locally, it has stores in Abington, Braintree, Brockton, Cohasset, Halifax, Hingham, Kingston, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Quincy, Stoughton, Weymouth and Whitman.

New York and New Jersey Stop & Shop employees have a separate contract.



The chain is owned by Ahold Delhaize, a Dutch company, which reported an estimated $71 billion in net sales in both 2017 and 2018.