UPDATED: Market Basket Workers Await Board Action

Tewksbury Market Basket Rally.

Supporters for ousted Market Basket President and CEO Arthur T. Demoulas await the next move of the company’s Board of Directors. An emergency meeting of the board is scheduled later on Monday to take up the demands of company managers and others seeking to reinstate Arthur T. Demoulas.

This morning, another rally was held at a Market Basket store in Tewksbury by a group of Arthur T. supporters known as “Save Market Basket”. In a Facebook post, the group says the rally is the opportunity to stand against injustices. It alleges people who built the company are being systematically terminated unjustly.

The latest rally comes in the wake of reports a number of senior managers were fired over the weekend purportedly for speaking at a Friday rally in support of the former CEO. The managers named were Tom Trainor, Tom Gordon, Joe Garon, Steve Paulenka, Jim Lacourse, Joe Schmidt and Mike Kettenbach. Supporters have also gathered more than 9,000 signatures on a website seeking Demoulas’ reinstatement.

A public letter from Trainor spells out the motivation of workers.

Dear fellow Market Basket Associates,

I was fired today after 41 loyal and great years with DSM. I was fired by a courier at my home with my wife and youngest daughter watching. Along with myself there have been several other men fired the same way, men that I have the upmost respect for (in order of years served), Joe Garon 49 years, Tom Gordon 40 years, Steve Paulenka 40 years, Jim Lacourse 35 years, Dean Joyce 35 years, Joe Schmidt 27 years and Mike Kettenbach 13 years. A total of 280 years of experience, loyalty, dedication and love for the company.

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. 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.

What wasn’t expected, although I should have expected it, was the way that I was fired, by courier, that Felicia Thornton and Jim Gooch didn’t have the guts to fire me and the others in person. This says a lot about a person’s character, I guess that says it all about those two.

The BOD on June 23rd tried to cut the head off the snake with the expectation that the snake would die. On June 24th the snake grew another head and new leaders emerged to carry the torch that had fallen to the ground. Today they cut the head off the snake once again, who among you will emerge as the new leaders in this fight? Who among you will pick up the torch? They are expecting you all to just lie down and go back to normal, is that what you are going to do?

The time is now or never, if this doesn’t get you fired up then go back to normal until they come for you the next time, it won’t be long before you are replaced by someone who will do your job for less money. This is your last chance to take your company back.

See you at the rally in Tewksbury #8 Tomorrow

Respectfully
Tom Trainor, 41 proud years