Stop & Shop has hundreds of locations around the New England area including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and more. They have been around for a while, dating as far back as the early 1900s. Throughout their years, they’ve had competition with other grocery stores and despite this, have been fairly successful. However, in more recent times, they’ve built a name for themselves in more ways than one.
Stop & Shop is known to be on the more expensive side, not quite Whole Foods level, but quite a lot higher than other stores one can shop at for similar quality goods. Surely, these additional expenses have gone into bettering their surrounding local communities and their own staff, right? Not so it seems as there have been issues throughout the years that have resulted in strikes, spikes in needed union activity, and more. The most recent strike in 2019 resulted in a win for the unions and workers, and also where a spokeswoman for Stop & Shop, Jennifer Brogan, interestingly stated “Most full-time employees at Stop & Shop earn $21.30 an hour.”
The issue is that even if this is true, it ignores the large amount of workers making lower than this, i.e., unlivable wages. This can be observed as in what’s happening now in many Stop & Shops (the one in question is specifically on West River Street, Providence, Rhode Island). In fact, it wasn’t even too long ago when workers were picketing right here. What’s currently happening is that for the past year or so, customers have been greeted at the entrances and exits with large advertisements to work there. The large signs advertise good benefits, and over the intercom, you can even occasionally hear that working at Stop & Shop is geared towards family and is a rewarding career.
So, if this is all true, why then, next to the glorified signs and under the pleasant voice of the intercoms, do their application flyers advertise as paying $14 per hour? This is in a state where a livable wage is substantially higher. What happened to Ms. Brogan’s comment about staff making over $20? How does one make a career if they’re forced to sleep on the streets, unable to afford rent with no physical address? Frustrated seeing this, I wrote to corporate and I eventually received a response from Aaron Allison, whom I presume is one of the local managers as per their email signature. Long story short, their responses were both shocking and downright ignorant of the implications of these wages.
Initially, they requested a call but wanting to get responses in writing, I asked for exchanges via email (you can find the full email exchange below). Their responses were stubborn, leaning back on the fact that they pay slightly higher than the already severely low minimum wage, even mentioning how the union agreed to this. What was most frustrating was their response, “… it is a minimum wage for entry level workers, what earns people more money is hard work, experience and dedication. Without that, people are probably not going to make what they want too anywhere.”
Aside from the fact that Americans are working more hours than ever before for lower wages and fewer benefits, the old school thinking of “work hard, earn more” is inarguably incorrect and fallacious. What’s more concerning is that if management at Stop & Shop holds these toxic beliefs, I worry only incompetence will be bred when trying to understand worker needs.
The solution is simple. Seeing as to how this Stop & Shop had been hiring for the same wage for the past several months, I would first advise increasing the wage. Not just enough to get a few people in the door, but enough to actually live on. The staff and workers at Stop & Shop are often some of the friendliest people around, and frankly, it pains me to know that many of them don’t have a home to go to at night. I implore Stop & Shop to enter the 21st century and embrace livable wages should the chain want to survive from the millions lost from potential future strikes and to appeal to the younger, more worker-supportive generations.
* Union representatives were unable to comment.
Update July 15, 2023. On my visit to this location, the flyers advertising this wage had been removed.
This email exchange between myself and Aaron Allison took place on July 4, 2023. Copies of the email are available upon request.
Hello Providence Progressive, I received your email about the hiring flyers. If you wouldlike to voice your concerns please give me a call at the store.
Thank You.
Thanks for the response.
I’m not sure what could be discussed over the phone that couldn’t be discussed over an email. I am very curious about why the grocery store I’ve frequented for so long is paying their workers an unlivable wage.
The starting wage that we offer is for entry level positions and in line with the state minimum wage guidelines.
Okay. Can you help me understand how an employee can live on this wage?
Well sir, minimum wage is set by the government, as a minimum starting point. This is a starting wage for entry level positions. To make more money, there are career advancement opportunities after you prove yourself, or if you have experience there are positions available that pay more. If someone is unemployed, $14.00/hr is an improvement, but all retail and grocery stores along with most companies start at a minimum wage for ENTRY level positions. As said previously, the state sets the minimum wage amount, and while some companies may start at a little higher, they are usually hiring for seasonal, temporary positions, while we are hiring for a guaranteed job. I’m curious as to what rate you would expect for an entry level position and why?
My experience, for the immediate Providence area has been $17-19 starting for entry positions. Just because it’s the minimum does not mean it ought to be followed nor does it mean it’s sufficient.
As per varying guidelines, to have an attempt at living bare-bones in Providence and surrounding towns, I believe a minimum was quoted as roughly $19-23.
As a customer here, I would like the (often) friendly people serving me here having a place to go to and enough money to put food on the table.
Providence Progressive, RI minimum wage is $13.00/hr for 2023, so we are above that and our wage was agreed upon by our union. With this you are guaranteed at least 15 hours a week, which not all companies do, and if someone is getting paid $19/hr and is only scheduled 5 hours then that is not very helpful to them either. Again, it is a minimum wage for entry level workers, what earns people more money is hard work, experience and dedication. Without that people are probably not going to make what they want too anywhere. Our workers for the most part are happy and satisfied with their jobs. We are above state regulations for minimum wage and hire a lot of people, and some decide not to apply.
If the union agreed to that, then it’s the stubbornness by the company or likely, I suspect, something the union had to agree to. I am actively getting in touch with them to hear their stance on this.
Guaranteed hours are great. How is the PTO, parental leave, bonuses, salary increases, etc? And unfortunately, hard work and dedication play only a small factor in earning potential.
I have observed Stop & Shop hiring for the same price for the past several months, so I wonder how many people stay. You mentioned your workers are happy; are you actively polling your full time workers making this pay around their satisfaction with said pay?
We actually poll our workers four times a year as to all aspects of satisfaction of their job. PTO is available to full and part time workers, and our turnover rate at this location is very good. There really isn’t anymore that I can talk about on this matter because we do not set the wages at store level, we simply hire people that want the job at said rate and meet our requirements. I thank you for your time and hope I was helpful in some way. Thank You
Thank you.
I will be in contact with the union, and look forward to covering this.
It remains appalling to see a manager adamantly defend an obvious low paying wage with old school thinking. I hope you don’t ever get paid this amount and encourage you to challenge your notions around this.
Regards,
Providence Progressive