I have 3 words to say to you all…
You.Are.Awesome
You’re not a just a group of employees, you’re not a union, you’re a family. When your family was torn apart, you banded together to fight back. It’s never been done before, a group of workers fighting FOR their former CEO. I would dare to say that 99.99999999999% of you cannot afford to lose hours, most of you are probably not able to make those ends meet for very long without hours and pay, and yet you are still standing up for what you believe in. As a family, we’ve been to the rallies, and we’ll support you as much as we can… But I wanted to come out and say “WOW” you are awesome! Thank you for reminding us that it’s collectively possible to stand up for what you believe in and do it in a positive way! I know that growing up in this area, most of my friends and I all worked at Market Basket at some point in our lives, and we shop there regularly, mostly just to support a well run mostly local business… But, except to attend rallies, we won’t be back to Market Basket until there’s a positive resolution for the people who work there. I just hope for your sake that the powers that be come to their senses sooner rather than later. They are driving their business into the ground, and seem to not care even a little bit… It’s very sad to see them throw away everything that has been built up. Stay Strong!! We support you!!
After coming home from the last rally, this is what I saw on the kitchen table… The kids making their own “kid sized” signs to carry at the next rally!!
Oh, and I just wanted to also send an FYI to the current members of the Tewksbury Board of Selectmen. We are politically involved in town, and are embarrassed by your lack of support for the Market Basket employees. It would be a Win-Win situation for you to support the local people who are standing up to corporate greed. There is NO downside… Do you really think that Artie S will vote for any of you? or that the greed culture of the current board will send lots of $ toward the town of Tewksbury? Supporting the local workers would ONLY help the town, but none of you have the gumption that the non-elected employees have. So, I’m putting it out there right now… PLEASE do not call us for support during the next election, as you will not get it. We will not make a donation to your campaigns (we’re donating to any of the Market Basket workers that we can), we will not attend YOUR rallies (too busy attending rallies of people actually willing to stand up for something), and we certainly will not put your campaign signs in our yard. You all should be ashamed of yourselves, and maybe take a lesson from those workers who cannot afford to do so, but are standing up for what they believe in.
Kathleen Spaeth says
Wow Julie! I am quite surprised that you would speak out so openly about a Privately Held Company, Demoulas Market Basket, in such a one-side and inflammatory way!! I am quite amazed that you wouldn’t discover, nor take the time to research, all the facts? Also, it is very terrible that you feel the need to chastise your Tewksbury Board of Selectman and feel the need to goad them to discuss a Private Issue in which they have no legal, nor moral, right to interfere in. Why don’t you ask your striking Market Basket Friend’s why they feel they are entitled to get paid for not showing up to work? You don’t get paid unless you are working right? Why do they also feel that they are entitled to Unemployment Compensation when they willing walked off the job by willfully blocking the delivery of, the unloading of and the shelving of, new products from their delivery trucks? Since when did you get to chose the CEO that you worked for? Amazingly this feuding between Arthur T. and Arthur S. some how managed to generate over $650 Billion in Profits last year. How much of that was shared by Arthur T. and given back to his “beloved employees”? Shamefully while all this grandiose picketing goes on, the majority of the loyal Market Basket customers have been painfully caught in the middle. Some of these customers can ill afford to shop elsewhere and this has created an even greater hardship for them! Least you forget all the Vendors, Farmers, Service Suppliers, and Surrounding Businesses who have taken a significant financial loss! Sadly, this illegal picketing has come full circle and it is now hurting these employees (since there is a dramatic decrease in their Store Sales). If you don’t sell products, you don’t generate Income (thus the Employees won’t get paid and their job skills aren’t needed any further). To bad the Market Basket Employees can’t seem to grasp the true economic impact of their willful, and thoughtless, actions!
JulieK says
Kathleen… I know I didn’t say it, but I KNOW that there is no “right” side in a decades-old family feud. There are no winners in a family crisis that carries on for that long. But, I also know from working there for 6 years (albeit MANY years ago) and knowing people that 30 years later are still working there that ATD was the hearbeat of the daily operations. I know that at least in this area, he was in the stores regularly, I know that he was approachable, and I also know that he supported people by at very least seeming to care about them. He attended weddings and funerals and if you had a problem you felt like you could approach him for support. That’s pretty rare in corporate culture, having a cashier feel like they can approach the CEO for help if needed. He celebrated births, supported during sickness and was simply someone that the general workers felt like they could rely on, and who had their back. He may have more money in the bank than all of the workers make in a year combined, BUT he didn’t act like it to the everyday person.
I also know that it’s a privately owned company and they can essentially do whatever they please, but that does not mean that those decisions, that they have every right to make, are without consequences. I’m upset with the local BOS, not because they should “do” something, obviously, they cannot do anything about a privately owned company, but that not one of them was willing to say anything at all. Even Deval Patrick (who’s not my favorite elected official) stood up to say essentially Yes, it’s a private company, but this conflict is hurting everyone, please come to a resolution soon. No, he can’t “do” anything about it, but he’s willing to stand up and say something. That I can respect. I cannot respect the BOS who essentially said we know if’s affecting many people, but it’s none of our business.
I will also say, I did not support the 99% movement from a few years ago, because I didn’t believe that there was a clear “message.” I didn’t get the sense that they were all “fighting” for the same thing, but this movement I support. They felt that ATD had their backs, and now they’re showing the same support for him. That I can respect.
Kathleen Spaeth says
Julie I understand the support for Arthur T., but kindly tell me how many Market Basket Employees are offered Health Insurance, instead of a friendly Hello and handshake? The majority of the employees are only offered 30 hours, or less, so that Market Basket doesn’t have to offer them Health Insurance. I bet they would prefer more hours, and thus be eligible for Health Insurance, than Arthur T. knowing what their spouse’s or children’s name are? All of this has occurred under Arthur T.’s Leadership! What about all the Farmers, Vendors, Distributors, Service Employees, and Local Surrounding Businesses? They have been bullied, harassed, and given shelf-space based on aggressive agreements by Arthur T. Please Stop making him out to be someone special and a God-like Figure! He isn’t, because he is also very concerned with the Bottom Line just like his Cousin Arthur S. Also, it is important for everyone to be presented all the facts, so then they can make a decision as to whether to shop their based on facts and not emotions. Our esteemed Gov. Deval Patrick, and our Attorney General Martha Coakley (along with your Tewksbury Board of Selectman, should not be speaking out on a Private Business Matter. The Current Board of Directors of Market Basket can Fire Arthur T. and run their Privately Held Business in any way they see fit. Since the State of Massachusetts is a Free-at-Will Employment State I am very surprised that they haven’t Fired every single Striking Employee, and stopped paying them, for not doing their jobs! I would!! I also would arrest them for blocking, scarring, harassing, and threatening all their Customers that want to shop their now!!! Why hasn’t Arthur T. taken the latest offer, to come back to run Market Basket as the Interim CEO? I thought he cared so much about his Employees? What about all their loyal customers, who can’t afford to shop elsewhere while all this Private Family Feuding goes on? These Customers are what I care about!! These are the people who should have Funds set up for them and not Truck Drivers who willing walked off the job. Thus, paralyzingly the delivery of products to the Stores. Enough! Shut down the Company, sell the Assets and the valuable Leases, and move on!!! Now what will all these Employees do for a job? Will they complain who their CEO is now?
JulieK says
My friend, it’s so unusual for us to be on opposites sides of an issue! Looks like we’re going to have to agree that we disagree :) Maybe for a little while we’ll have to stick to less controversial topics… like maybe politics or the middle east :)
Kathleen Spaeth says
My Friend, I am just glad that we both posted all the Facts. Now whether we chose to shop at Market Basket will be based on the Facts and not Emotions! Please try not to be so hard on your Tewksbury Board of Selectman, since this is a Privately Held Company and they are not required to speak out on this, and they are only Human just like us!! I wish that more of our Elected Officials would stop poking their noses into places where they shouldn’t be. Now if only the striking Market Basket workers would stop blocking the entrance ways, parking lots, and drive ways of their respective stores. It has been so wrong of them to harm their Customers, Vendors, Farmers, Service Workers, and Surrounding Businesses, in his manner! Oh, their is no controversy in the Middle East. The Gaza Strip belongs to Israel and Hamas has no right to occupy it!! Isn’t this exactly what the Market Basket workers are doing? Israel has every right to defend itself and Palestine doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Arthur S. has every right to fire Arthur T., and the Old Management, and run his Market Basket stores any way he sees fit. If the Employees don’t want to work for Arthur S. than they should pool their money together and buy out Arthur S.’ Majority Share and then they can rightfully place Arthur T. back into the position of CEO. I Love our Democratic Process and I would never interfere with it!