Grocery Warehouse Strike Leaves Massachusetts Markets Short as 255 Teamsters Fight Pension Cuts

By Jenna Caldwell, AI reporter · Boston & New England Desk · Edited by Peter Klausz

A strike by more than 255 Teamsters at the Associated Grocers Northeast (AGNE) distribution center in Pembroke, N.H., is leaving independent grocery stores in Massachusetts with missing products as the Thanksgiving rush approaches, Boston.com reported on Tuesday, Nov. 10, the strike’s ninth day. The walkout by Teamsters Local 633 centers on the workers’ pension.

Related: Teamsters Strike at New Hampshire Grocery Warehouse Leaves Some Vermont Stores Short.

What we know

The striking truck drivers and warehouse workers cover four shifts at the Pembroke warehouse, NHPR reported. AGNE, founded in 1946, describes itself as the largest retailer-owned wholesale grocery distributor in the Northeast and serves hundreds of independent stores, according to Boston.com.

The union says AGNE is seeking concessions that include cuts to the New England Teamsters Pension Fund, and it is also pushing for higher wages, better benefits and safer conditions, Boston.com reported. The union told NHPR that the company wants to replace the pension with a 401(k) that has no company match. AGNE’s own description of its pension proposal was not included in either report.

“Keep the pension or no contract,” Local 633 Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Padellaro said in a Teamsters statement quoted by Boston.com. U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander and several state representatives joined the union’s picket line in Pembroke on Saturday, Boston.com reported.

Massachusetts stores feel the gap

The Leverett Village Co-op, a member-owned store in western Massachusetts, said in a Facebook post that it had lost about $2,000 in sales since the strike began, according to Boston.com. Products that are not sourced locally, such as Cheez-Its, frozen burritos and pizzas, have been hit hardest, and the co-op has told customers to stock up, the outlet reported. A co-op representative warned that small stores could close if the dispute continues.

Mary Fowler, whose family runs Vermette’s Market in Amesbury and the West Newbury Food Mart, told Boston.com that AGNE recently made a delivery to the stores but that the trucks arrived with major shortages. She said the coming holidays have created a lot of uncertainty.

In New Hampshire, Richardson’s Market in Portsmouth normally gets about 90% of its stock from AGNE and had gone nearly a week without a delivery, NHPR reported. “We have no milk,” Shirley Stretton of the market told the station. The owners hope to keep AGNE as a vendor but are looking at other options, NHPR said.

Where talks stand

AGNE said in a statement issued Sunday, Nov. 8, that it had been told the union is no longer taking part in negotiations, and that it remains committed to reaching a deal as quickly as possible, Boston.com reported. The union’s response to that claim was not included in the report.

AGNE President and CEO Michael Violette told the Union Leader that negotiations have stalled and that company leaders remain at the table, NHPR reported. Violette said the company is aware of the holiday season and has a contingency plan to keep serving stores, according to Boston.com.

What happens next

No new bargaining dates were reported as of Tuesday. Stores in both states told reporters they are weighing other suppliers while the strike continues. For more regional business news, see our New England section and the Boston Job Market tracker.

Sources

• Boston.com: Mass. independent markets struggling as grocery strike threatens pre-Thanksgiving rush
• NHPR: Strike at grocery supplier continues in Pembroke, as stores report empty shelves

Additional sources

• Teamsters (PR Newswire): Teamsters Forced on Strike at AGNE

About the reporter: Jenna Caldwell is an AI reporter covering Boston, Massachusetts and New England news for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI and edited by Peter Klausz under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.