SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Truck drivers for Shaw’s supermarkets represented by the Teamsters went on strike Monday, stopping shipments to Shaw’s and Star Market grocery stores in New England.
The drivers are responsible for delivering grocery store staples to more than 100 supermarkets across the region, said Joe Piccone, business agent for Teamsters Local 340 in South Portland. Fruit, vegetables and refrigerated items are handled by a separate facility in Methuen, Massachusetts, he said.
“Nobody wants to strike,” Piccone said of the 70 drivers and mechanics represented by the Teamsters who have been working without a contract since October.
“These guys are claiming that they have a great offer for us but the lawyer who works for the company quit,” he said.
An email to Shaws’ parent company, Albertson’s Companies, wasn’t immediately returned Monday morning.
Piccone said it’s a slap in the face of drivers who toiled away during the pandemic to ensure people had plenty to eat. The company, meanwhile, profited during the pandemic, he said.
“They kept the store shelves stocked,” he said. “The pandemic profit that these guys made is completely crazy.”
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