Business & Tech

Stores Feel the Pinch, Legislators Chime in as Market Basket Employees Stand Together to Bring Back Ousted CEO Arthur T.

Employees to gather again outside Tewksbury headquarters starting at 7 a.m. Monday morning.

By Liz Taurasi

Two days after thousands of Market Basket employees, managers and customers rallied to show their support for ousted former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, local stores are feeling the pinch, local legislators are chiming in and one customer has started a petition.

Over the weekend, 17 state lawmakers 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.”

Demoulas was ousted last month 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.

Market Basket stores throughout the area are feeling the pinch with produce sections being the first to take the hit -- many with low to no product throughout the weekend. Leading up to Friday’s rally, employees said the existing stock within each market would last a week or less.

Workers told the Boston Herald support by warehouse employees and drivers for Friday’s rally left the company unable to ship groceries from its Tewksbury distribution center. Replacement drivers were brought in to make deliveries.

The group “We Are Market Basket” says on a typical Friday and Saturday almost 600 truckloads are delivered to stores. On Saturday the group said less than 4 percent left the warehouse.

A petition has also been started by a customer, Mary Giacobbe, asking for the reinstatement of Arthur T. The petition had more than 1,500 signatures as of Sunday morning. Giacobbe’s petition is calling for bringing Arthur T. back because, “he is an example to one who gives much back to the community in these hard times, has accommodated the elderly, disabled, lower income shoppers, jobs for youth , and they want him back. Many fear soaring prices and loss of jobs as we fight to have them reinstate him.”

On Monday, Market Basket employees will resume their posts again outside of the company’s Tewksbury headquarters at 7 a.m. "We Are Market Basket" says they will stand together: executives, selectors, assistants, drivers and supervisors, for as long as it takes.”


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