TEWKSBURY, MA - It feels like Market Basket has been a newsroom fixture ever since Arthur S. Demoulas organized the ouster of his cousin and much beloved Market Basket President and CEO, Arthur T. Demoulas last month. This week is no exception with news breaking that Market Basket workers have issued a new set of demands to the company's new CEOs Felicia Thornton and Jim Gooch. They have made it clear that they expect an answer by Thursday, July 17th at 4:30pm.
According to the Boston Herald, the list of demands read:
- Bring Arthur T. Demoulas "back with full authority, non-negotiable
- A non-answer will be considered a no.
- A group meeting must be held by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, informing us of your decision.
- We will not work for anyone but [Arthur T. Demoulas].”
Thornton and Gooch released a joint statement in the wake of the news saying, “This morning, several employees informed us that they require an answer on their demands by the end of day tomorrow. When we attempted to acknowledge their concern and respond on the status of the request, these employees instead left the meeting. We also are aware of a memo they issued, although it was not immediately given to us by these employees. This behavior is not appropriate nor is it in keeping with Market Basket’s culture of respect.”
Appropriate or not, the protesting employees are committed to their cause. They have already posted protest signs in and outside of the company's headquarters in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, according to the Boston Globe. So far, they have not informed the press about what their plans are if Thornton and Gooch refuse to give in to their demands, but a statement from Tom Gordon, a Market Basket manager with 39 years of experience with the company, may hint at it...
“They can’t run this company without the team at headquarters,” he said.
With emotions this high on all sides, there's no telling what may come next. No matter what happens however you can count on AndNowUKnow to keep you updated on any developments, so stay tuned.
Also, if you'd like to read about the events that lead up to this powder-keg of a situation, you can check out our previous articles here and here.
