Stop & Shop workers in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts have voted to give their leaders the authority to declare a strike. 
The vote comes after two months of failed contract negotiations between Stop & Shop and the United Food and Commercial Workers union. This vote doesn’t necessarily mean workers will strike. But it is a way for the union to say, “This is not an empty threat.”
Tim Melia is president of UFCW Local 328, which represents 11,000 Stop & Shop workers. Most of them work in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Melia says Stop & Shop has not offered workers the wages and benefits they deserve.
“They can more than afford to take care of their employees, some of whom have been here 30, 40, 50 years,” Melia said. “The way they can recognize their employees is with a good contract.”
In a statement, Stop & Shop says its labor costs have made it hard to compete with rival supermarkets where employees aren’t unionized. Those stores include Walmart, Whole Foods, Costco and Market Basket.
The two sides are holding more negotiations this week.