At Nantucket, residents face a Stop & Shop strike dilemma

Living on an island means you can't always get what you want.

The whole of Nantucket residents have come to the fact that there are not many doctors' offices, hardware stores and year-round restaurants on the island – and just a supermarket chain: Stop & Shop.

But with the merchant's workers in the strike last week, closing a Stop & Shop on the island and reducing services on the other, Nantucket residents face a new dilemma: Do they cross the picket line? Pay extra for food at small organic food stores and boutique fish markets? Or do they take the ferry to the Cape and do their shopping there, change their bags in a cab or pay a hefty sum to bring their car?

And with Easter approaching, and the daffodil support kicks off the season next weekend ̵[ads1]1; bringing in thousands of visitors and summer homeowners – the need for groceries should only grow.

Strike, involving 31,000 workers in 240 stores in three states, began abruptly Thursday afternoon when workers received the call from their association, United Food & Commercial Workers, to leave the job. The workers – 75 percent of them are part-time, according to the Union – left cheese unsliced, cupcakes united and have been picketing since, protesting the proposed increase in health costs and reductions in pension contributions and Sunday and holiday overtime pay something for part-time and new hires.

Dozens of shops are closed, according to trade unions, and hours and services are limited elsewhere. Deliveries to some stores around the region have also been delayed, as union managers refuse to cross picket lines and striking workers block their way.

Many of Nantucks 11,000 plus residents throughout the year are in arms about the strike and are doing what they can to avoid shopping in the store. But the tight community is also concerned with low-income farmers who cannot afford to run their business elsewhere and have no choice but to reject Stop & Shop, where the bakery, seafood and deli counters are closed and the meat and production choices are limited.

Business personnel and managers from across the region have been introduced to help out in the Nantucket stores, Stop & Shop spokeswoman Jennifer Brogan says.

"We understand the importance of our store delivering food to the community, and we are committed to doing everything needed to minimize disruption to our Nantucket customers and to continue serving the island community," she said in an e-mail. mail.

Kris Kinsley Hancock, a photographer who has lived on the island all year since 1989, went to Bartlett's Farm for Berries and Salads and Vegetables, and received one of the last containers of almond milk, but said many were sold out . Her husband returned from an off-island doctoral agreement with a cooler milk and whole food yogurt. The family also has a stock of soup, cereals, granola bars, mac and cheese, and toiletries in the basement if the power goes out or ferries stop running, which may come in handy soon.

"We are weathering the Stop & Shop storm," she said.

The shelves at Cumberland Farm's convenience store were also decimated, said Amy Eldridge, who had to visit another Cumberland Farm's place to find milk, bread, eggs and lunch meat for her mother, who just came out of the hospital. Ten things cost her $ 50, said Eldridge, a Nantucket native and an assistant manager at a dry cleaning service.

A number of specialty stores order more food to keep up with demand and offer discounts to residents, she noted. But the prices are too high for those who trust food stamps or other help. Ordering online is not an option for many people, she said, especially if they need baby formula or diapers right away.

"Society suffers," said Eldridge. "This is a very high-end island, and many of these stores are designed for the needs of the summer population."

As a wife of a Teamster Union member, she said she would not cross the chin line. And she gets furious when she sees politicians supporting the strikes, but doesn't go in for helping Nantucket residents.

"We're pretty firm," she said. "I'm trying to trade where I don't spend $ 25 on a plate, because at this point I could only go to a cheaper restaurant."

Karen Theroux, property manager and 30-year-old Nantucket resident, was eager to buy daffodils and other spring flowers last week. Stop & Shop had some, but she continued to drive – reluctantly – to higher than Bartlett, where she also brought bread and cheese. "Their prices are crazy," she said.

Other than that, Theroux has eaten a lot of pasta and sandwiches and worked through items in the freezer and pantry. But she knows it's not sustainable: "You can't live off peanut butter forever," she said.

She has a ferry trip planned off the island to get the car serviced on Monday, and plans to beat BJ or Trader Joe in Hyannis. She knows someone has no choice but to go to Stop & Shop, but she wonders what they find inside.

"If you are going to cross the picket line, you will at least be able to get something decent when you are there," she said.

On Wednesday afternoon, a number of people who took the ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket took hanging groceries with them for avoiding Stop & Shop Rubidia Escobar, a housekeeper at several homes on Nantucket, stocked with milk, sour cream and sugar at Market Basket in Bourne Cindy Whitlock, visiting from Washington State with her husband and grandchildren, filled up on Shaws in Hyannis on her way to visit her daughter, who works at the airport.

"My daughter called to say that there is almost nothing left on Nantucket, and if we want to eat this week, we get some more food," Whitlock says. .

Of course, some residents cross the picket line.

Karen Macumber, owner of Sherburne Inn at Nantucket, will continue to Stop & Shop – a trip she usually does almost every day for fruit, yogurt, granola and muffins because trucks from distributors like Sysco can't navigate their narrow street.

However, Macumber went to Bartlett and Nantucket Meat & Fish Market to investigate their selection production, but she expects she still has to buy yogurt at Stop & Shop "and hopes that it has not completely expired."

Nevertheless, the negative impact the strike has on her and other small business owners puts her in a difficult situation, said Macumber, who is concerned about the increased demand in the Easter weekend festival.

"If I have to choose between my business and try to support workers," she said, "my business is going to come first."

Katie Johnston can be reached at katie.johnston@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @ktkjohnston .