Stop & Shop Prepares for Strike

One of the region's largest supermarket chains, Stop & Shop, is trying to avoid a potential strike at several stores across New England, as talks continue with the store's workers union.

Stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island could be effected by a strike, which members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union say would go into effect when the current contract expires at midnight Saturday.

One of the key issues in the dispute is over healthcare.

Currently, the chain covers all healthcare costs for full-time staff, but now wants union workers to cover a portion of the costs.

Stop & Shop has taken steps to hire part-time staff to help keep stores open if the 43,000 union workers decide to go on strike.