A strike is looming over Stop & Shop as an ongoing contract dispute reaches a key date.
Friday marks the deadline for a new contract agreement between the grocery chain and union workers at the distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts. If that contract isn’t reached, both sides have threatened to take action.
The company says without a deal, it will make plans to close the facility and outsource the work to a third party. The warehouse would not close Friday, but at a later date in June to allow ample time for the transition to a third-party distributor.
Stop & Shop says it’s seeking to reduce labor costs at the facility by implementing a new health plan.
Stop & Shop says it will close its distribution center in Freetown, Massachusetts, and outsource the work if it cannot reach a new agreement with the Teamsters Local 25 union by the end of the month.
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But the Teamsters Local 25 — who represent the 900 workers at the warehouse, and picketed here with them last week – have so far rejected that proposal, saying it would require workers to contribute 20% of the costs.
The five local United Food & Commercial Workers unions which represent roughly 30,000 Stop & Shop employees throughout New England have vowed to strike in solidarity with the Teamsters if a deal isn’t reached today.
If that happens – those unions say you could see an impact at your local grocery store.
The state treasurers of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have gotten involved – sending a letter to the supermarket giant, encouraging it to “engage in good faith negotiations” with the Teamsters.
Stop & Shop sent us a statement this morning saying in part, “Stop & Shop’s stores remain open and ready to serve our customers, and we do not anticipate any disruptions to our store operations.”
The deadline is set for midnight.
Updated February 22, 2026, at 7:42 p.m.
Harvard College and several other Harvard schools will move Monday classes online following a statewide emergency declaration issued ahead of a major blizzard.
The decision was announced in a Sunday afternoon email sent to undergraduates, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences students, and other Faculty of Arts and Sciences affiliates. In separate emails and notices posted on school websites, the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Law School, Graduate School of Design, Harvard School of Public Health, and Harvard Extension School also confirmed they would hold classes online Monday.
The email to FAS affiliates instructed nonessential employees to remain home and work remotely, reinforcing a University-wide announcement issued earlier Sunday by Executive Vice President Meredith L. Weenick ’90.
Residential dining services for undergraduates are expected to operate as usual, according to the email, while GSAS students will have access to limited dining options through the student center.
The Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard Graduate School of Education canceled all Monday in-person classes and events, according to announcements posted on the schools’ websites.
Harvard Business School will continue to hold in-person classes, but non-essential staff were instructed to work remotely as a result of the forecast.
Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey ’92 declared a statewide state of emergency amid blizzard warnings across Southern New England. Forecasters expect the storm to bring with winds of up to 75 miles per hour to Cambridge, along with 18 to 25 inches of snow.
Harvard’s decision mirrors those of nearby institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown University. Harvard has closed campus only a handful of times in recent years, most notably during winter storms in 2013 and 2015.
Forecasts of a major snowstorm at the start of the semester did not prompt the FAS and College to close, however, drawing widespread complaints among the student body.
Harvard Undergraduate Association co-president Abdullah Shahid Sial ’27 cheered the College’s decision following a regular HUA meeting Sunday.
“Having lived in Pakistan my entire life, I’ve never seen snow until pretty much I came to Harvard,” he said. “Now, being in a position where all classes are canceled because of snow, I’m very excited.”
—Staff writers Alma T. Barak and Theresa F. Bartelme contributed reporting.
—Staff writer Sebastian B. Connolly can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal @sbc.23. Follow him on X @SebastianC4784.
—Staff writer Summer E. Rose can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal @ser.85. Follow her on X @summerellenrose.
Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency and deployed 200 members of the Massachusetts National Guard ahead of a potential blizzard that is set to slam the state.
Healey held a news conference Sunday afternoon at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) headquarters in Framingham. A potentially historic winter storm will dump snow on the state with blizzard conditions possible in some places.
For the first time in four years, a blizzard warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Massachusetts. The warning has been issued for the entire North and South Shores, Boston, Norfolk County, Plymouth County, Bristol County, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard.
Parts of the state, including Boston, could receive 2 feet of snow. In addition, winds are expected to be an issue for much of Massachusetts. In parts of the state, winds may reach 40-55 mph. On Cape Cod, winds could whip higher than 70 mph.
“This is a serious storm. At the outset what I want to say to the public is this is one to take seriously,” Healey said, adding “Unfortunately we do expect to see power outages and downed trees.”
The governor said declaring a state of emergency allows the state to respond quickly and deploy resources during the storm. The National Guard will be available to assist with rescue response and debris removal.
Healey said all non-emergency government employees will be working remotely on Monday and she urges the private sector to do the same.
Many schools in the state have already canceled class on Monday, which is the first day students were scheduled to return from their winter break. School cancellations are not an issue in New Hampshire for this storm as the state’s winter break is just getting underway.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu held her own news conference Sunday, saying the storm could be “of historic proportions.” The city declared a snow emergency and parking ban and said schools will be closed on Monday. Wu also asked drivers to stay off the roads.
On Saturday at 9:38 p.m. a special weather statement was released by the National Weather Service until Sunday at 12:15 a.m. for Worcester, Middlesex, Norfolk and Bristol counties.
“Areas of light snow and snow showers have developed and are contributing to locally slick road conditions. Please allow extra travel time this evening as snow showers continue. Conditions are expected to improve as snow activity wanes after midnight,” states the weather service.
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