"In this organization, here at Market Basket, everyone is special. You have demonstrated that everyone here has a purpose. You have demonstrated that everyone has meaning. And no one person is better or more important than another. And no one person holds a position of privilege. Whether it's a full-timer or a part-timer, whether it's a sacker or a cashier, or a grocery clerk, or a truck driver, or a warehouse selector, a store manager, a supervisor, a customer, a vendor or a CEO, we are all equal. We are all equal and by working together, and only together, do we succeed."
Those were the words of Arthur T. Demoulas upon his stunning return as the head of Market Basket, the 71-store grocery chain based in New England. A $1.6 billion deal was reached last Thursday for Mr. Demoulas to buy out his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas, and take over operations of the chain.
In early July, Arthur S. reportedly swayed a relative on the grocer's board to lead an effort to fire Arthur T. as president. Reports said Arthur S. was looking to find ways to extract more cash from the business for investors.
Support for Arthur T. led to a seven-week walk out of most of the workers at the grocery chain's headquarters, stores and warehouse. Stories about resulting bare shelves, the threat of fired striking workers, and worker empowerment were played out loudly across New Engand newspapers.
With many likening it to a movie script, many Labor Day columns this past weekend leapt on Arthur T.'s return to Market Basket to illustrate a rare victory for labor.
Writing for The Washington Post, E.J. Dionne Jr. said mentioning the sackers, clerks and truck drivers contributing to Market Basket's success was Arthur T.'s "way of asserting a capitalist version of the labor theory of value: Without good workers, the 'job creators' can't make it."
At the same time, he said the incident illustrates why the country still needs unions and other forms of collective representation for employees. He wrote, "Not every CEO, alas, is like Arthur T."
Writing for the Boston Globe, Thomas Kochan, co-director of the Institute of Work and Employment Research at the MIT Sloan School of Management, noted that critical drivers for the success of the campaign included: the creative use of social media (including 90,000 "likes" on the Save Market Basket Facebook page); "highly visible rallies" that drew media attention; and the overall appeal "to a public thirsty to find ways to reverse trends in income inequality, unfairness, and greed in economic affairs."
But he also said a company culture such as Market Basket demonstrates that employees should have "as big a stake in how a company is run" as shareholders.
He concluded, "Time will tell if this fascinating case will be just a flash in the pan or a forerunner of a new worker-led reform of how American businesses compete."
- A Market Basket store, returning to life - Boston Globe
- A Market Basket of dignity - Washington Post
- What the Market Basket Struggle Means for Labor - Boston Globe
- The Labor Day lessons of Market Basket - PBS
- Arthur T. Addresses Supporters: 'You Empowered Others to Seek Change' - Boston Globe
- Grocery Store Theology: Market Basket, Labor Day, and Respecting the Worker - Huffington Post
- Chain's workers refuse to work after board ousts president - RetailWire