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Gov. Lamont Offers Support to Striking Stop & Shop Workers in Old Saybrook

On Monday afternoon, the fifth day of the Stop & Shop strike, Governor Ned Lamont stopped by the Old Saybrook store to offer his support to striking workers picketing in front.

The governor arrived at around 2 p.m. and introduced himself, shaking hands and asking employees their names and how long they’ve been working at the store.

“Should I go bother those guys, or not?” Lamont said when he reached the end of the line, gesturing toward several employees standing inside, near the bank of grocery carts.

There was a mixed reaction, but a call of “Yes. Do it,” from one of the workers rang out above the other voices.

Followed by cheers from the striking employees, Lamont walked inside and introduced himself to several people inside, again introducing himself and shaking hands.

“Get these guys back to work, don’t you think?” he said cheerfully. “They really want to work here.”

“They’re a great group. Great group,” said store manager Shannon, who declined to provide her last name.

“I know they are,” said Lamont. “I’m not here to here to stir up trouble. I’m just cheering these folks on.”

Lamont said he was doing “everything I can to get these people back to work. Get Stop & Shop to sit down and talk in good faith, negotiate.

“You see how long these people have been working here?” he continued. “Twenty, 30 years? They really want to get back to work. They really care about the work they do here. And I also heard there are an awful lot of neighbors are sticking with them, too.”

Once Lamont emerged from the store, Local 371 Shop Steward Tom Belair asked Lamont if he would take a picture with him “so I can send it to Tommy while he’s sitting at the table? He would probably love it.”

Lamont took the photo and then left to a chorus of “Thank you, governor!”

As of Sunday, April 15, the Stop & Shop’s website listed its current offer to employees as including wage increases for all associates, with no changes to time-and-a-half Sunday wages for full-time employees and current part-time employees; no change to health-care deductibles with an increase in insurance premiums of $2 per week for individuals and $4 per week for families; continued pensions with increased pension employer contributions at no cost to associates; and no changes to paid time off or holidays for current associates.