With the help of supporters in the community and in other UFCW Local Unions throughout the East Coast, Stop & Shop workers achieved a solid victory yesterday when they ratified a three-year contract agreement securing affordable, quality health care for all Stop & Shop employees.

Click here to read more about the Stop & Shop contract agreement.

Stop & Shop workers held firm in their resolve to improve health care accessibility, quality and cost for part-timers and full-timers, through their contract expiration and more than a month of tough negotiations. And their solidarity and strength paid off. The new contract cuts new hires' waiting period for health care in half, and requires no monthly contribution to premiums from part-timers, who make up 80 percent of the New England Stop & Shop workforce.

The contract also secures good wage increases and retirement security for all Stop & Shop workers.

Click here to read the UFCW International's statement on the Stop & Shop contract.

This is a huge victory for Stop & Shop workers, and for UFCW grocery workers all over the nation who are either in negotiations or soon will be. If Stop & Shop (owned by Dutch company Royal Ahold) can offer quality, affordable health care to all of its employees, so can other national and international grocery chains.

Unity bargaining--coordinated efforts with community members and other UFCW members regionally and nationally--was key to Stop & Shop workers securing a great contract. As the Grocery Workers United campaign gathers momentum, gaining more members and supporters, we should start to see these coordinated efforts pay off in negotiations throughout the country and in Canada.