City of Somerville header
File #: 25-0353    Version: 1
Type: Resolution Status: Approved
File created: 2/25/2025 In control: City Council
On agenda: 2/27/2025 Final action: 2/27/2025
Enactment date: 2/27/2025 Enactment #: 218381
Title: Supporting Teamsters Local 25 in the labor dispute with Stop & Shop.
Sponsors: Jesse Clingan, Judy Pineda Neufeld, Matthew McLaughlin, Willie Burnley Jr., Ben Ewen-Campen, Wilfred N. Mbah, Naima Sait, Jefferson Thomas (J.T.) Scott, Kristen Strezo, Jake Wilson
Indexes: City Clerk
Attachments: 1. Resolution - Stop and Shop

Agenda Summary

title

Supporting Teamsters Local 25 in the labor dispute with Stop & Shop.

 

body

Official Text

WHEREAS:                      Stop & Shop’s 1.1 Million square foot distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts is a critical component of their supply chain in New England; and

WHEREAS:                      The facility sits on over 150 acres and delivers perishable and non-perishable goods to more than 200 Stop & Shop locations across Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island; and

WHEREAS:                     Ahold Delhaize, the parent company of Stop & Shop, has made clear its intent to close the Freetown Distribution Center unless Teamsters Local 25 members accept drastic concessions on their healthcare - a benefit they have relied on for over 40 years; and

WHEREAS:                     This escalating crisis threatens the livelihoods of over 900 hardworking Massachusetts residents, and potentially the food security of our region; and

WHEREAS:                     Many of these workers have dedicated decades of service to this company, ensuring that New England families have access to fresh food and essential goods; and

WHEREAS:                     This fight is not just about a single warehouse; it is about protecting good-paying union jobs, standing up to corporate exploitation, and ensuring that companies receiving tax incentives from Massachusetts do not turn their backs on our workers; and

WHEREAS:                     Ahold Delhaize and Stop & Shop have accepted millions in local tax breaks to build and operate the Freetown Facility, but are now prepared to walk away from it entirely; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED:                     That the Somerville City Council recognizes Stop & Shop’s decision to weaponize job loss in order to force workers into a substandard healthcare plan is not only unjust but also a direct attack on the very communities they serve; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED:                     That the Somerville City Council supports Teamsters Local 25 should they decide to take action, including extending picket lines to every Stop & Shop store in New England, and demands that Ahold Delhaize and Stop & Shop return to the bargaining table in good faith.