TEWKSBURY, Mass. – (MyFoxBoston.com) – Market Basket's new co-CEO's sent a letter to employees Thursday in response to the list of demands they sent Wednesday.
The employees want the grocer to rehire former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. The list of demands they sent to their new co-CEOs included these four points: "(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; and we will not work for anyone but (Arthur T. Demoulas).â
After receiving the demands from employees, the new co-CEOs, Felicia Thornton and Jim Gooch, sent a letter to staff members saying that special meetings have been put into place to discuss such demands and that it is an âindividualâ decision for each worker to choose whether or not they will continue working for Market Basket. If workers do not continue to do their every-day work or decide to abandon their job, then they âleave us [CEOs] no choice but to permanently replace you."
That letter goes on to say that the behavior of the workers is inappropriate and is not in line with Market Basket's culture of respect.
The store's grocery manager says that the culture has always been to "promote from within" but the two new co-CEOs were hired from the outside.
40-year veteran of the grocer, Steve Paulenka, spoke with FOX 25's Maria Stephanos Thursday saying that he knew the former CEO for 40 years and that Demoulas would never have sent that letter to the staff.
There will be an "optional" walkout protest Friday at 10 a.m. in front of the grocer's headquarters in Tewksbury.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
