in november 1999, j sainsbury/shaw's supermarkets closed the star market distribution center in norwood, laying off over 300 local 25 teamster members. in may 1999 local 25 agreed to a 6-month extension with j sainsbury/shaw's supermarkets on the then-prevailing contract to bargain in "good faith". in 2001, j sainsbury/shaw's supermarkets closed the shaw's distribution center in east bridgewater, laying off over 400 ufcw members. j sainsbury/shaw's supermarkets indicated that the warehouse was "not centrally located in its service area, and the necessary physical expansion is impossible". c&s wholesale grocers does the majority of the work that was performed by the two union-based distribution centers. c&s's distribution center/headquarters were in brattleboro, vermont at the time.