Local 791 Members on Strike at Shaw’s Methuen Distribution Center

Methuen, Mass., March 7, 2010 ------  By a vote of 228 to 8 the workers of  the Shaw’s Supermarket’s Methuen Distribution Center voted overwhelmingly today to reject a final contract offer by Shaw’s Supermarket’s and voted to strike following the expiration of the current contract at midnight on March 6, 2010.  All the workers are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791.  The Methuen Distribution Center distributes perishable products to all Shaw’s Supermarkets and Star Markets.  A picket line was established at the Methuen facility early Sunday afternoon. 

“Unfortunately Shaw’s has failed to offer a fair and equitable package to the workers in Methuen and gave the union members no other option but to exercise their right to strike because of Shaw’s unjust and inequitable contract offer,” said union spokesman Peter Derouen.

The workers at the Shaw’s perishable warehouse in Methuen perform physically exhausting work and take pride in working hard to ensure that Shaw’s perishable food items are delivered in the freshest, safest and highest quality possible for Shaw’s customers. Shaw’s substandard wage offer coupled with its proposal for increases in employee health care contributions will result in the net loss of money for the workers during the term of the proposed contract.  Local 791 is seeking a fair and equitable contract that preserves full time jobs and work rules and contains good wages and benefits,” said Derouen. 

“We regret the inconvenience of a strike, but the company has chosen this path, not the union.  The goal of the union was and is to get a fair and equitable contract for our members,” said Derouen.  Local 791’s members from the Methuen warehouse will be establishing picket lines at the Methuen warehouse and at various non-union Shaw’s and Star Markets stores.  Local 791 members are asking the public to support their strike for fair wages and benefits by not patronizing the Shaw’s and Star Markets stores where picket lines are set up.