Stop and Shop Action

Over two dozen overnight cleaners at Stop & Shop supermarkets decided they no longer wanted to be sick with fear that the propane tanks they were required to transport to their homes might combust at any moment, and were tired of feeling nauseous and dizzy from exposure to powerful, toxic chemicals.

With assistance from MassCOSH and the Industry Cooperative Trust Fund, the workers lodged a complaint with the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Soon after, a delegation of workers and allies (seen above) delivered a letter to Stop and Shop urging New England’s largest grocery chain to install locked cages to store the tanks at the sites and provide less toxic chemicals and personal protective equipment. They also called for an end to being misclassified as subcontractors, and instead be designated as direct employees, in accordance with the state’s labor laws.