Supermarket chain. Workers on strike.
O.k., there’s already a thread on it.
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If ATD regains control: Back to work.
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If ASD & Co. keeps control: MB can no longer operate as a store chain, stores and real estate get sold to some other, larger chain that can better handle fixed costs, ASD & Co. pocket the cash, get out.
Bet on 2, since that’s apparently their long-term goal anyway and it happens by default if they don’t do anything.
Thanks.
Merged two threads about this.
Super Secret Project (the people behind “Granite State of Mind”) have released a music video inspired by the saga: Dear Market Basket
Yeah, no kidding. Geez, Sal Ammoniac, how did you not know that MB is one of the dominant chains in New Hampshire and Maine too? Every third article states that there are 71 stores and lists the states they’re in.
I wonder how the board will react if they manage to force everyone back to work or replace them…only to find that customers are still not coming back? They’ve already ignored a petition of over 100k customers, and you’d think they’d realize shoppers are serious about supporting the workers the way we’ve stayed away in droves, so maybe it’d really take hiring new people and still having little business going on to finally get through to them.
Anyway, I hope this is all over soon (and that Arthur T is restored, of course), given how many employees I know. The thing that annoys me most about the articles is that they don’t explain that the majority of those on strike are warehouse employees: the store employees are going to work, and they’ve been cleaning and painting the stores while all of this has gone been going on.
If this goes on much longer, they will have had time to build brand new stores from the ground up.
It’s been another 2 weeks and things look like they’re circling the drain. Yesterday Governors Patrick and Hassan met with the Arthurs and some other board members, and the mealy mouth statements from them did not sound good:
“The parties have made real progress on the terms of the sale and operating control of the company, and the governors are encouraged that a resolution may be within reach,” Heather Nichols, a spokeswoman for Patrick, said in a statement.
And today, a vendor announced they’re no longer doing business with Market Basket.
If Devoid Patrick is involved, the Fat Lady is warming up.
And the heavens have opened, Arthur S. has been banished to the Pit, and Arthur T. is in charge again. The biggest winners are the new CEOs Thornton and Gooch, who according to their contracts will be collecting 3 years of pay for 3 months of work.
Seriously, though this is no doubt the best ending and the only one that had a chance of leaving Market Basket a viable company, the whole Arthur T. worship & Arthur S. demonization has been kind of sickening. Frankly, if my uncle of millions and my cousin had tried to illegally sabotage my court case against him, I’d never trust them again either. Now we’ll just have to see how long it takes them to get the stores up and running again. I’m guessing by the end of the weekend, the shelves will be bare of nearly everything, as their supporters swarm back and the supply lines creak back into action, and it will take weeks or even months before you can make it your sole shopping location again.
This needs to be an object lesson for corporate managers everywhere, about how much more effective they can be simply by respecting their people as human beings.
Congratulations, ATD and everyone else, you won!
I’m glad for selfish reasons. I don’t shop at MB often, but the Stop N Shops have gotten progressively worse each week this has gone on. More crowded and more poorly stocked. Now all the excess customers can return to MB and I can get all the things on my list and not wait as long to check out (if you can’t use the self-check, please don’t use the self-check).
Went into my local Market Basket last night. Restocking is in progress, but it’s pretty haphazard - they had lots of Dannon yogurt, but no other brands, no produce whatsoever, beef case was practically overflowing but no chicken or pork or other meats. Some cereals are completely gone, some still plenty of stock.
I do have to say though, that I’ve never been in a retail establishment where everyone was so genuinely happy. Now I just hope our neighbor gets her hours back.
You know, I thought I was getting the evil eye from other shoppers when I was in S&S. Relieved to see I wasn’t imagining it.
What a relief. I was not coming up with any good alternatives during the boycott. It made me realize, though, that even if it’s never quite as good as it was, Demoulas will still be much better than the other grocery stores.
And even though it is probably the exception that proves the rule, it was really heartwarming to see how everyone stood with their neighbors and relatives to support workers who just want a fair shake and a chance to have a stable, decent job.
You definitely weren’t. I’ve heard several regular Stop and Shop people complain about the sudden influx of Market Basket shoppers.
“They complain about the prices of everything.”
“They don’t know where to find anything so they’re always in the way.”
There’s animosity because the Stop and Shop people like Stop and Shop. They don’t like these new people that are there because they have to be and are complaining about it the whole time.
I like to mix it up and go to many supermarkets. So, I’ve found it amusing how territorial everyone seems to be on the subject.
The lesson here, though, is that Zuckerberg was wise. If you’ve got people who own a stake and aren’t contributing to the business get rid of them early.
I don’t know why they didn’t just pay off the Arthur S faction of the family years ago. It certainly would have been cheaper.
I stand by my initial analysis, though: Arthur T seems to be a good leader and his people love him.
Arthur S seems to be acting like an unreasonable jerk.
However, if someone stole 500 million dollars from me, I’d probably be an unreasonable jerk too.
I read that Arthur T’s side tried to buy out Arthur S’s side a few times over the past 20 years, but could never reach a deal. It took Arthur S staring down the barrel of flat out losing 1.5 billion that forced him to sell.
I like to mix it up too, but S&S is closest and most convenient for me, so being overwhelmed with confused former MB, Shaw’s (local one gone), and Johnnie’s customers just makes running out for a quick something interminable. I don’t like regular S&S customers when I go at times different than my normal times or at holidays, either. They’re different from the non-holiday, “my” shopping time people.