Shaw's Strikers Expand Picket Lines Around State
http://wbztv.com/local/shaws.strike.distribution.2.1592072.html

Alana Gomez SOMERVILLE (WBZ) ―

"We got family, we have to pay rent, have to pay our bills," he told WBZ.

But even though he is in financial need, Romero paced in front of a Shaw's supermarket in Somerville in chilly temperatures Friday trying to tell shoppers to take their business somewhere else.

Romero is one of about 300 Shaw's employees from the supermarket's distribution center in Methuen who have been on strike since March 7th.

The employees say the contract offered by the store is unfair and cuts into wages and health care benefits.

Earlier this week Shaw's announced it was going to permanently replace the striking workers.

"We're not going let a company like Shaw's throw people onto the street who've worked for them for decades," said Russ Davis of Massachusetts Jobs for Justice.

Now dozens of unions are joining the Shaw's employees from UFCW Local 791 and expanding their picket lines to Shaw's chains throughout the state.

Representatives said hundreds of picketers will try to inform shoppers of the strike throughout the next week.

Shaw's responded about their decision to accept applications to permanent replace workers in a statement:

"We are extremely disappointed that it has come to this. It's important for people to know that this difficult business decision came only after the union rebuffed our request earlier this month for a contract extension that would have allowed for continued productive negotiations."

Union members said they had been negotiating with the supermarket for at least three months before the decision to strike.

"If we felt we were on the road to getting an agreement we definitely would've stayed at the table," said Peter Derouen of UFCW Local 791.

A spokesperson for the company said they believe the final contract offer was fair and reasonable.

Another meeting between Shaw's and the union is scheduled for Monday.