Rally replaces Market Basket walkout

Tewksbury, Mass. – Although no promise has been made to rehire ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, a rally at the corporate headquarters of Demoulas Super Markets Inc. is replacing a previously planned employee walkout. Employees of Demoulas’ Market Basket chain had threatened to stage a walkout on July 18 in protest of Demoulas’ removal as CEO in June.



However, the group Save Market Basket, which initially planned the walkout, said in a Facebook post there will be a rally at Demoulas headquarters the morning of July 18. 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.



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.