Statement released by the Market Basket BOD spokesperson this morning and workers/customers response

[graywarrior]

Last edited Sat Aug 9, 2014, 02:45 PM - Edit history (1)

"Business negotiations should not prevent our Associates from earning a living or our customers from buying groceries," the independent board of directors said in a statement provided via a spokeswoman. "It is wrong to hold everyone hostage to gain a negotiation advantage."

Response

REALLY?!! Tell ASD that, don't you dare try to blame ATD for the work stoppage or boycott that the associates and customers are firmly entrenched in. ASD and Dianna Merriam, Fotene Demoulas, Rafaela Evans and Vanessa Demoulas can end this today. They have been tendered a full and fair offer from the "B" shareholders.
It is the "A" shareholders and this Board that is holding everyone hostage. Do you really think ATD's management team would come back to help you stabilize the company while you negotiate with others? Take ATD's offer to come back as CEO with his team and we will stabilize the company, the associates and customers will come back.
You don't get it, WE DON"T BELIEVE A WORD YOU SAY! We will work for no one except ATD and we won't shop at Market Basket until ATD is back. The "independent" Board members have shown time and again just how independent they are. This Board and the "A" shareholders are responsible for this "hostage" situation. Wake up and look at what is happening to this company, there is ONLY ONE solution, bring ATD back as CEO with full authority.

[NBachers]

1. Thank you for keeping us updated on the Market Basket labor action, Greywarrior.

[steve2470]

2. k&R ! nt

[regnaD kciN]

3. To increase visibility, you might want to edit the topic...

...so it's clear that it's about Market Basket. "BOD spokesperson" could be about anything.

[graywarrior]

4. Thanks, did it!

[DeSwiss]

5. K&R!

[valerief]

6. Board translation: "Return everything back to normal so we can sell you off." nt

[graywarrior]

7. Exactly

They should just stop fekking around and sell to Artie T.

[freshwest]

26. Without ATD, whoever buys the chain will punish the workers who returned. He's their only hope for

good treatment at this point as they've entered a fray of high stakes players who are ruthless and the BOD will resent them for it. I wish they were represented by a union and used the NLRB to protect themselves from the predator Ayn Randites ruining things.

We had a battle approach us over here. Kroger Company owned several stores and made unreasonable demands. They saw that the customers were preparing to boycott.

The week before the contract was to expire, union reps at all the front doors of the stores informed shoppers. Plans were laid as to which stores would stay open and which would close by strike.

The day before the strike dead line, people emptied out the shelves and made plans to shop elsewhere as well as expressing their solidarity with the workers. Customers were in a state of grief, some of them, as the stores were where they also interacted socially with others.

When these predators destroy a workplace, get rid of a park, a school, a library or other things that make up part of people's lives, you destroy community.

In our case here, the company caved before the dead line without their demands. I can not say enough good things about Unions of all kinds and how they hold all the people in their area together. They are the real grass roots that we grow on.

[PatSeg]

43. Good to hear a positive outcome

There are so few these days. Thanks.

[freshwest]

24. +1

[GeorgeGist]

8. The beatings will continue ...

[MannyGoldstein]

9. The good news is that the board's starting to split

I think it will be over soon, hopefully with a good outcome!

[Cha]

10. Wow! Great detailed response to typical strawman bullshite! Mahalo graywarrior.. here's

to the one solution that will make the Workers and Customers Happy!

[freshwest]

23. Cha, so the storm's over and you still have electricity! Great!

[Cha]

27. Yes, Iselle is over.. but Julio is

still coming.. so we shall see, fresh! Electricity went off for about a 1/2 second that night when it was raining lions and tigers about 2am.. but, so far we've been so lucky!

Going off to vote in our Primary Election now.. for Brian Schatz.. the real progressive for Senator!

Kicking Gray's thread, too!

[ReRe]

11. K&R

Solidarity forever! Bring ATD back!

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. Any bets Rafaela Evans hasn't slept a wink lately?

Her switching to the Bad Arthur side started this mess.

[graywarrior]

15. My guess is she's entirely focused on money

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. Then she won't enjoy seeing MB's value drop like a stone.

[graywarrior]

22. Someone on the Save Market Basket fb page suggested the workers by the company

along with Artie T.

[tea and oranges]

13. Nice Try, MB Assholes

Kick. Thanks again, graywarrior. Fascinating story. May ATD, truth, justice, the employees, & customers prevail!

[graywarrior]

16. !

[MissDeeds]

14. Thanks for keeping us up to date, graywarrior

The actions of the employees and customers of Market Basket are an inspiration, and I applaud them all.





K&R

[graywarrior]

17. Prez Obama is going to be on the Vineyard this week

It will be interesting because MB is all over the news. I wonder what he'll think about this.

[MissDeeds]

18. I hope he speaks out

and offers support, but given his track record of caving to big business, I doubt he will. Really, it could be a defining moment for him. Fingers crossed.

[graywarrior]

20. I doubt he'll get involved

It's not his place, but he will surely be hearing about it.

[TheCowsCameHome]

21. Artie S composed a ransom note is more like it.....

[madokie]

25. I love it

f* the greedy bastids
This is how we get our country back by standing up to them

[graywarrior]

28. Yep, and no politics involved

Just a hardcore FU to the corporation.

[madokie]

29. Thats it

[The Wizard]

30. Food rotting on the shelves has no value.

The people boycotting have the upper hand. They can shop elsewhere. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. In a consumer driven economy the consumer is the ultimate arbiter.

[James48]

31. You don't negotiate with terrorists.

Period.


We won't shop at Market Basket until ATD is back.


End of story.

[Enthusiast]

32. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

[emsimon33]

33. K&R

[safeinOhio]

34. Capitalism sucks

when board members find that the little people, workers and customers, have a greater say in success than the big shots.

"when you begin a journey of revenge, first dig 2 graves"

[marble falls]

35. They don't get it. A boycott is about NOT being held hostge!

[graywarrior]

36. A news report last night said that the Board assumed the food stamp crowd would

show up on the first of the month to buy groceries. Wrong. Another indication that they don't get it. People shopped at MB because the prices were drastically lower than any other supermarket, including WalMart. Now without MB, the other supermarkets are being wiped clean--there is almost a food shortage in this area. Add in the fact that the tourists are all here, you're lucky if you can find anything on the shelves anywhere. It's becoming a real crisis and it's scary when you realize you can't afford food never mind actually get it!

The boycott sends a loud message that people cannot afford to put food on the table based on the prices they're being charged. They'd rather go without than pay the prices in other stores...they HAVE to go without.

The silliness with the board needs to be over this week or MB is done for good. If that happens, vendors and farmers in the area will be so negatively impacted the economy will suffer. There was a story a few days ago about a farmer with 1800 mums ordered from MB just sitting and waiting. If they're not delivered, he's out 1/3 of his business. Another is a farmer who sells all of his corn to MB. His crop is ready. He's screwed if MB does not solve this situation now. Meanwhile, the Board cares only about their own pockets. What an eye opening event for a lot of people. Corporations are people, my ass.

[Tommymac]

37. Hear Hear.

Classic finish to your post.

[marble falls]

38. If we shop only based on ours wallets we'll end up shopping soulessly. The source is at least...

at least as important as the resource.

[graywarrior]

39. Maybe we need to wake up to the fact that we need to help ourselves.

First by tearing down the ridiculous system that pits people against greed and then by developing self sufficient ways of taking care of one another. There are a lot of very angry people posting their feelings on the Save Market Basket fb page. A lot of it is misdirected at politicians, and yet, this crisis has revealed to me that every politician is on the side of whoever or whatever will benefit him or her.

We're on our own....but the workers and customers have proven that they are brave enough to stand together, walk through the fear, financial and otherwise, and confront a wrong doing. Because they did it together from top management to bagger; full time workers to part-timers. What an enlightenment. It hasn't been pretty, but it sure is beautiful!

[marble falls]

40. This shows people can change whats going on around them. We don't politicians, we need ourselves.

[graywarrior]

41. This movement has changed people's thinking

Hopefully, we will start doing things differently.

[rhett o rick]

42. They are class sociopaths. They only understand their desires and condemn all others. nm