Business & Tech

Despite Firings, Market Basket Employees Continue Fight

From managers, to employees, to customers, the show of solidarity continues as supporters of ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas fight to bring him back.

By Liz Taurasi

These supermarket employees really love their boss. 

And they are making sure everyone knows about it.

Employees of the Massachusetts-based Market Basket supermarket chain are protesting the ouster of their beloved CEO because they stand firm in their belief that together with the company they built one of the greatest business models in the country. Market Basket employees say they pride themselves on great customer service, values and selections, as well as best prices. 

Employees say they are concerned the ousting of their CEO is the beginning of an end to business as they know it and they want their old boss back.

The show of solidarity by employees, managers and customers of the relatively small supermarket chain is the talk of the town whether you have a Market Basket in your community or not. Thousands are risking their jobs to show their support for ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas.

Demoulas was ousted in June when a majority of the company's board shifted in support of Arthur T.'s cousin and rival, Arthur S. Demoulas. Arthur T. Demoulas was replaced with two co-CEOs from outside the company.

Last week, Market Basket workers and middle managers set a deadline of Thursday, July 17 to have Arthur T. DeMoulas reinstated as president and CEO of the supermarket chain. It was not clear at the time what they planned to do if he was not reinstated. They stated in a memo to new co-CEOS Jim Gooch and Felicia Thornton they wanted Arthur T. back “with full authority” and that “we will not work for anyone but [Arthur T. Demoulas]”

That Thursday deadline came and went, and all was quiet. Until Friday morning - when more than 2,000 Market Basket employees, managers, vendors and customers rallied at Market Basket’s Tewksbury headquarters all in support of their former CEO. Work at the warehouse stopped on Friday, and no deliveries were made to any of the 70 stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. But despite threats from headquarters, all was quiet and no one lost their job for taking part in the rally and work stoppage at the Tewksbury, Massachusetts warehouse.

The effects of the work stoppage were felt immediately as store shelves were bare most of the weekend, with produce sections emptying out first. Every store felt the impact, but it didn’t seem to stop customer support. From local police and fire departments, unions and regular shoppers, support for what Market Basket employees are trying to achieve has been strong. Over the weekend 17 state lawmakers also pledged their support to boycott Market Basket and “stand with its employees and with the standard of delivering low priced, quality groceries that Arthur T Demoulas has set.”

Firings

But on Sunday everything changed. Eight Market Basket employees were terminated. The first was was Dean Joyce, supervisor of Market Basket’s Tewksbury warehouse, whose termination was announced Sunday morning. Early Sunday evening, it was announced seven more employees were terminated from their positions, notified by courier at their homes. 

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These individuals worked for the company for decades: Joe Garon with the company for 49 years, Tom Trainor 41 years,Tom Gordon 40 years, Steve Paulenka 40 years, Jim Lacourse 35 years, Joe Schmidt 27 years and Mike Kettenbach 13 years.

Market Basket management issued a statement on the firings late Sunday saying these employees were terminated because their actions “continued to harm the company, negatively impacted customers, and inhibited associates’ ability to perform their jobs.”

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Trainor, one of the eight, said he’d do it all over again if he had to.

“It wasn't unexpected, when I started this fight over a year ago I knew the risk but I also knew that I was fighting for something much bigger than myself,” Trainor said in a letter to Market Basket associates Sunday night. “I was fighting for my MB family, for Arthur T Demoulas a man that I have tremendous respect, loyalty and admiration for. A man that I would run through a wall for, I have no regrets, I would do it all over again and I leave the company I love with my head held high in the knowledge that there wasn't a single thing more that I could have done.”

On the heels of these firings, organizers of a planned rally on Monday are pushing to make it the strongest yet. They’ve been asked not to be at the East Street property where they assembled Friday. Instead, the group will now be assembling at the Tewksbury location, Store #8, 10 Main St. at 9 a.m. Monday morning.

Follow live updates from Monday's rally >>>


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