Stop & Shop Workers' Strike Over, Tentative Agreements Reached

BOSTON (CBS) -- Stop & Shop announced Sunday evening that the corporation has reached "fair new tentative agreements with UFCW Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445, and 1459," ending the workers' strike.

Over 30,000 employees have been on strike since April 11.

According to Stop & Shop, the three-year agreement included "increased pay for all associates; continued excellent health coverage for eligible associates; and ongoing defined benefit pension benefits for all eligible associates."

The agreement will now need to be ratified by the unions.

"Our associates' top priority will be restocking our stores so we can return to taking care of our customers and communities and providing them with the service they deserve," the store said Sunday.

Full-time workers were told to return to the store Monday morning.

Customers are looking forward to their return and pleased there was an agreement. Riley Hanrahan explained, "I know that our younger generations, they want a better world where we can live the minimum wage that we're supposed to be getting."

All five unions released a joint statement saying:

"We are incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who proudly stood together with us every day for a contract that invests in the communities we serve, and makes Stop & Shop a better place to work and a better place to shop.

"Under this proposed contract, our members will be able to focus on continuing to help customers in our communities enjoy the best shopping experience possible and to keep Stop & Shop the number one grocery store in New England. The agreement preserves health care and retirement benefits, provides wage increases, and maintains time-and-a-half pay on Sunday for current members.

"Today is a powerful victory for the 31,000 hardworking men and women of Stop & Shop who courageously stood up to fight for what all New Englanders want – good jobs, affordable health care, a better wage, and to be treated right by the company they made a success."

A number of high-profile faces joined the picket line.