The United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1445 and Massachusetts Jobs for Justice held a rally at the Stop and Shop on McGrath Highway in Somerville today in support of Stop and Shop workers.
At least 75 people came to march in the fire lane at the supermarket and sing chants supporting workers and denigrating Stop and Shop’s corporate greed, supervised by several cars’ worth of officers from the Somerville Police Department.
Union president Jeff Bollen spoke, acknowledging workers’ concerns about the threat automation poses to their jobs. Massachusetts State Rep. Mike Connolly addressed the crowd as well, saying he stood behind Stop and Shop workers and was pleased to see the East Somerville community show up.
Members of UFCW Local 1445 and 1459, National Association of Government Employees, and other unions, joined by Somerville community members, marched in a loop in front of the supermarket to music by The Second Line, a Camberville-based activist brass band.
Fabricio DaSilva, UFCW Local 1445’s organizing director, led the crowd into the supermarket. They made several circuits of the checkout area and aisles before several SPD officers asked them to leave.
UFCW Local 1445 and the four other UFCW local unions are currently negotiating with Stop and Shop for a better contract and have voted to authorize a strike should negotiations go poorly.
