Matt Pitta/CapeCod.com.
QUINCY, Mass. (AP) — Supermarket and labor union officials are continuing negotiations as workers in southern New England are on their fourth day of a walkout.
A Stop & Shop spokeswoman confirmed that contract talks with the United Food and Commercial Workers continue and that federal mediators are involved.
Thousands of unionized workers for Stop & Shop walked off the job on Thursday over what they say is an unfair contract offer.
About 31,000 Stop and Shop employees voted last month to authorize a strike as the union representing the workers continued to try to hammer out a deal with the company.
Stop and Shop operates 12 stores on Cape Cod along with two on Nantucket and two on Martha’s Vineyard.
The grocery store chain, with over 400 stores in the northeast, saw the latest contract between the company and employees expire in late February. It had been in effect since 2016.
The main sticking points in the negotiations had been health care, pensions and vacation time.
The union had asked workers to continue to show up to their jobs as negotiations continued.
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