Stop & Shop union delays strike vote
A customer checks out a large flower arrangement at the Stop and Shop in Tarrytown on Valentine's Day. The store was ready with plenty of flowers and balloons and dozens of roses like these. (Feb. 14, 2013) Credit: Richard Harbus
The union representing Stop & Shop's meat, seafood and deli workers postponed a strike vote until Monday.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 342, which represents about 800 Long Island workers, had scheduled a strike vote on Friday, after almost two years of negotiating with Stop & Shop officials, the union said. The union's Long Island and New York City members have been working without a contract since Oct. 2011.
"The meeting being delayed until Monday just gives us time to determine whether or not Stop & Shop is truly ready to work with us," union spokeswoman Kate Meckler said in a statement.
A "yes" vote by union members gives their leaders the authority to call a strike.
Stop & Shop said this week that it intends to schedule more dates to negotiate with the union and that it hopes to devise a "fair and competitive" compensation package for its workers.
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