AARON LEO

NEW HAVEN - Eighteen percent of the state's Stop & Shop Co. workers have voted unanimously to strike if they must start paying for their health insurance.

The Monday vote was 900-0 rejecting the Massachussetts-based chain's health care proposal, said Brian Petronella, president of Local 371 of United Food & Commercial Workers Union. As many as 5,000 workers were eligible to vote, he said.

The rank and file then voted 900-0 to strike if the company did not withdraw the proposal before the contract expires Feb. 18, Petronella said. The earliest day they could strike would be midnight that day.

After hearing of the vote, Stop & Shop spokeswoman Faith Weiner said, "Obviously, we're disappointed that Local 371 chose to take a strike vote at this time, before both parties have had an opportunity to negotiate.

"We put a comprehensive proposal on the table," she said.

Petronella said the company's plan would require full-time workers to pay $11 a week for themselves, $15.40 a week with a child, $17.50 a week for a spouse and $22.70 a week for a family plan; part-time workers would pay $9.50 a week. Those payments would increase over the three years of the proposed contract.

Stop & Shop currently pays the full premium, $612 a month for full-time workers' insurance, including family members, Petronella said.

Employees already have annual deductibles of $300 per person for health costs, and $2,500 for hospital costs.

In Connecticut, about 15,000 workers could strike. Workers in Rhode Island and Massachussetts could also strike.

Stop & Shop has 43,000 union workers total in the three states.

Negotiations resume today, Weiner said.