A strike is looming over Stop & Shop as an ongoing contract dispute reaches a key date.

Friday marks the deadline for a new contract agreement between the grocery chain and union workers at the distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts. If that contract isn’t reached, both sides have threatened to take action.

The company says without a deal, it will make plans to close the facility and outsource the work to a third party. The warehouse would not close Friday, but at a later date in June to allow ample time for the transition to a third-party distributor. 

Stop & Shop says it’s seeking to reduce labor costs at the facility by implementing a new health plan.

Stop & Shop says it will close its distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts, and outsource the work if it cannot reach a new agreement with the Teamsters Local 25 union by the end of the month.

Follow NBC10 Boston:
https://instagram.com/nbc10boston
https://tiktok.com/@nbc10boston
https://facebook.com/NBC10Boston
Tweets by NBC10Boston
https://bsky.app/profile/nbcboston.com

But the Teamsters Local 25 — who represent the 900 workers at the warehouse, and picketed here with them last week – have so far rejected that proposal, saying it would require workers to contribute 20% of the costs. 

The five local United Food & Commercial Workers unions which represent roughly 30,000 Stop & Shop employees throughout New England have vowed to strike in solidarity with the Teamsters if a deal isn’t reached today.

If that happens – those unions say you could see an impact at your local grocery store.

The state treasurers of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have gotten involved – sending a letter to the supermarket giant, encouraging it to “engage in good faith negotiations” with the Teamsters.

Stop & Shop sent us a statement this morning saying in part, “Stop & Shop’s stores remain open and ready to serve our customers, and we do not anticipate any disruptions to our store operations.”

The deadline is set for midnight.