Report: Market Basket fires employees after inventory problems

Tewksbury, Mass. – Demoulas Super Markets Inc., parent company of the Market Basket grocery chain, has reportedly fired some employees in the wake of inventory problems during the weekend of July 19-20. According to the Boston Globe, several managers were fired the evening of Sunday, July 20 after the company noticed thinning inventories of perishable items.



Employees of Demoulas’ Market Basket chain had threatened to stage a walkout on July 18 in protest of the removal of former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas in June, but instead held a rally at corporate headquarters. Most of the company’s warehouse workers and drivers attended the rally and said they would refuse to return to work until Demoulas was reinstated. Demoulas has been using replacement drivers, but it is unclear whether any lower-level warehouse employees or drivers have been fired.



In an open letter to employees, new co-CEOs Felicia Thornton and Jim Gooch said they will bring employee concerns to the Demoulas board of directors but cannot make any decision to rehire Demoulas. The letter also said that any employee who leaves their job or refuses to work a scheduled shift will be fired, meaning some participants could potentially lose their jobs.



Seventeen Massachusetts lawmakers, including state Attorney General and Democrative gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley, have publicly expressed support for the workers. Arthur T. Demoulas had been waging a public battle with his cousin Arthur S. Demoulas, a stakeholder and director of the company, about finances when he was fired in June. He remains a company shareholder.