On behalf of the 31,000 men and women who work at Stop & Shop, I would like to sincerely thank you for the support you showed our hard-working United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) members across New England during their fight for a better life.

The bakers, cashiers, stockers, deli-clerks, and butchers who work at Stop & Shop are not only proud union members—they work hard and provide an important service that should and must be valued by employers.  For our members, this fight was driven by two defining beliefs: that hard work should be rewarded, and that companies that make billions of dollars in profit should share that success.

Ultimately, our members’ fight for economic justice was not about politics or party, it was about right and wrong.  It was also about how millions of New Englanders, most of them customers and non-union members, rallied behind our members’ desire for affordable healthcare, good wages, secure retirement, and a better life, because they, too, share the same economic fears and anxieties.  This created a shared purpose that none of us in positions of leadership or power can or should ignore.

As cynical and divisive as our politics and society have seemingly become, the incredible act of public unity we saw across three states provides a powerful signal of the change we can accomplish when we work together and stand together.  It also exemplifies the true power that working and middle-class Americans have when they are united by a shared purpose and goal.

Your support was not only appreciated, it will be remembered.

You, and so many other honorable national, state, and local leaders tweeted to your supporters and spoke out against greed and indifference.  You helped make clear that there is a positive power that comes from unity.  Working together, you, our amazing UFCW members, our New England Locals, and the millions of customers who supported us have helped prove that when we focus on our shared values for a better life, and the fact that one good job should be enough, we can accomplish great and historic things.

Finally, I hope that the fantastic support we saw across New England serves as a reminder to all of us, and especially to those who wish to lead their communities and the country, of the importance of speaking out and not hiding out.  While the path toward unity and change may not always be easy, it is during such moments that we realize we do have the power to improve the lives of hard-working people and change America for the better.

Again, I sincerely thank you for your public support of our union family, and for helping protect our Stop & Shop members’ healthcare, wages, and retirement.

Together, we fought for a better life for workers, and we won.

Sincerely and fraternally,

Marc Perrone