The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Let’s fix broken labor laws
Everyone living in Connecticut in 2019 likely remembers the nearly two-week strike at Stop & Shops across southern New England.
But many likely don’t remember or never knew why it happened. Many also are unaware of how broken labor laws helped to create a system so unfair that employers can essentially force workers out on strike.
My union, the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 371, represents workers at nearly 40 companies, including Stop & Shop.
Back in 2019, I was one of the bargainers working to get an agreement for 31,000 Stop & Shop workers.
I will never forget those weeks leading up to our decision in April. This was not my first rodeo having bargained many contracts before, including several difficult ones with Stop & Shop. During that winter five years ago, though, the tone was different.
Management arrived at our negotiations with the intent to fundamentally change what it meant to be a unionized employee in their stores.
Retirement benefits? Management wanted them cut by two-thirds.
Health insurance? Management proposed doubling the workers’ premiums and booting most spouses off the plan.
Raises? Management offered few, suggesting bonuses instead.
In the 60 sessions preceding the strike, they also proposed reductions in holidays, vacation days, sick time, and overtime.
Despite bringing in record sales at the time and continuing to be the most successful grocery store chain in the state, Stop & Shop wanted to slash and burn their employees’ pay and benefits.
We hadn’t been on strike since 1988. It’s not something any of us want. But 2019 was different and the anticipation was palpable.
Our strike votes were unanimous, but we still went back to the table in hopes of reaching an agreement. Knowing how hard a strike can be, we did everything we could to avoid one. But sometimes, an employer will force your hand.
When we ultimately made the call to walk out, our members emptied 200 stores across three states in just 15 minutes.
Our members and our communities were rock solid over
This proposal will encourage an employer to come to the bargaining table sooner and remain at the bargaining table longer to reach a resolution. That means we should have fewer strikes overall, which is good for the workers, their employers, our communities, and the state economy.
those 11 days. However, back at the table, all I kept thinking was “we have to get them back to work before they cannot financially recover from this.”
I knew what it cost to keep my own family of five running, and I couldn’t sleep thinking about the panic each one of them was feeling.
After striking for 11 long days, we ended up protecting our pension and health care, and securing meaningful wage increases.
While our members won a good contract, we shouldn’t have even needed to go on strike at all to protect our benefits and obtain raises.
Unfortunately, though, the deck is stacked against workers and our labor laws are woefully outdated.
And while much needs to be done federally to fix this problem, we have an opportunity in Connecticut to help level the playing field for working people this year.
The Connecticut General Assembly is considering legislation to allow striking workers to access unemployment benefits after being on strike for two weeks.
This bill wouldn’t have helped our members if it was the law in 2019 since we settled our contract in less than 14 days. However, more than likely, it would have meant that Stop & Shop would have bargained in good faith and settled an agreement without ever forcing the workers out on strike in the first place.
This proposal will encourage an employer to come to the bargaining table sooner and remain at the bargaining table longer to reach a resolution. That means we should have fewer strikes overall, which is good for the workers, their employers, our communities, and the state economy.
Working people exercising their right to strike shouldn’t go hungry, bankrupt, or lose their homes because they are temporarily out of work.
To be sure, workers do not take the decision to go on strike lightly. When they do, unemployment insurance will simply help their families survive. Only a fair contract can help them thrive.