Market Basket Workers Wait for Break; Finegold Goes on TV

The wait goes on for Market Basket associates and customers seeking the full reinstatement of ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas as their protest and boycott enters week number six.

New reports indicate a deal has yet to be reached. However, the company’s board of directors reportedly will meet on Saturday to consider a final offer from Arthur T. to purchase the 50.5 percent share of the supermarket chain held by rival relatives. The board reportedly will also decide on another offer from an outside chain. In the past week, full-time store associates were ordered back to work, several vendors cut ties with current company management, and Governors Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire intervened in the purchase negotiations between the Demoulas cousins.

Meanwhile, a number of protesting Market Basket employees are featured in new political campaign advertising for a local lawmaker.

Massachusetts Senator Barry Finegold (D-Andover), a candidate for treasurer, appeared recently at several worker rallies held in Tewksbury and Andover. His campaign ad airing on Boston television includes words of support from several attendees identified as workers from various store departments.

Last month, Finegold launched a petition to show lawmaker support for workers.

We, the undersigned, stand today with the thousands of Market Basket employees who have walked out of their jobs in protest of the firing of their beloved CEO Arthur T. Demoulas.

These employees know that Market Basket has been the chosen supermarket of so many people looking to save money on groceries. They know that the leadership of Arthur T. Demoulas is the reason Market Basket has been able to keep prices low while delivering quality products to mainly underserved areas. The current actions of the board and officers is one motivated by corporate greed and will only serve to destroy the legacy the Demoulas family has worked generations to establish.

We ask that all of our colleagues join with us across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and boycott Market Basket and stand with it’s employees and with the standard of delivering low priced, quality groceries that Arthur T. Demoulas has set.

The state primary election will be held Tuesday, September 9.