NH warehouse strike disrupts deliveries to some local grocery stores

CAMBRIDGE, Vt. (WCAX) – A strike by hundreds of union members at an Associated Grocers Northeast warehouse in New Hampshire is disrupting deliveries to independent grocery stores in our area.

Mike and Wendy Dezotelle say they usually stop at the Cambridge Village Market once or twice a day for everything from lunch to pasta sauce. “They carry anything you could want, everything,” Mike said.

The shelves are now stocked, but this could change. “In a week or two, if you want to come and buy a can of soup, you might be out of luck,” said Ron Frey, co-owner of the market.

While sandwiches and local produce should be fine, canned goods, frozen foods and other nonperishable items may begin to disappear due to disruptions caused by the strike at the Associated Grocers Northeast warehouse in New Hampshire. “We were supposed to get a delivery yesterday – which is Thursday – and there are no deliveries in sight,” Frey said.

And they are not the only ones. Many other mom-and-pop stores across the state have posted online, saying they may soon run out of stock as well.

“There are other distribution channels for these stores, but this one is important,” said Matt Cota of the Vermont Retail and Grocers Association. He says the disruption is mainly affecting independent grocers, but with your support they should get through it. “It certainly won’t stop them from opening their doors as long as customers come, so it’s very important that customers continue to shop local.”

Back in Cambridge, Frey says they are changing their minds and relying on their local produce suppliers to fill in the gaps. But local farmers can’t replace nonperishable produce, which could have a ripple effect on hungry Vermonters. “We supply to local food shelves. We got a delivery Monday and covered their order. They will place another order for next Monday, which probably won’t happen,” Frey said.

As stores face uncertainty, loyal customers like the Dezotelles say they plan to continue supporting their local markets. “It’s one of the best local family stores,” Wendy said.