By Market Basket Employees (from wearemarketbasket.com)
Boston, July 31, 2014, — Rumor was rampant today of a 5pm deadline for an offer submitted by ATD’s side of the family to buy out all of ASD’s side. That rumored deadline came and went with no announcement so we presume an extension was granted. We have been anticipating a deal all week as we continue on with our protests and boycotts and each day has come and gone with no resolution to this. The CEOs have issued more threats to our livelihoods and our customers have shoved them right back in their face as they continue their unwavering support for our cause.
An empty Market Basket Store in Burlington, Mass.(provided to bostonese.com).
This is no longer about F&G. It’s no longer about the Board. The blame for the lack of a deal and the continuing of the crisis rests solely on the shoulders of Arthur S. Demoulas, Fotene Demoulas, Diana Merriam and Rafaela Evans Demoulas. It is their greed, plain and simple, that is drawing this story on and preventing 25,000 associates and 2 million customers from returning to the company they love. The company they built. The company that enriched these shareholders while they sat back and collected airplanes, cars, interior design firms and vineyards. We have no idea what the dollar amount is on the offer but we can be sure it is more than fair. How many more dollars need to be tacked on in order to satisfy these people?
We can no longer simply blame the face of all this, Arthur S, though he is plenty blameworthy. His sisters, Fotene and Diana, and his estranged ex-sister in law, Rafaela, are front and center along with him as they drive the greed bus. Any one of them could help end this, but not one of them has. They want more money and they seemingly want to see the asset that they are selling, OUR COMPANY, crumble before they cash in on it. Think about how twisted that is, they are leveraging ATD’s love of the company and his people to drive up the price as they watch the actual value of it being destroyed because of their decisions.
Do you think they have an ounce of compassion for the associates or the customers? Do you think they care whether or not we have spent our lives with this company or that we save thousands of dollars shopping there?
THEY DON’T. They grew up here and some of them still live here but they are so far removed from who we are and what we stand for they may as well have grown up on another planet. We call on them to accept the offer and to do it tomorrow. Take your hundreds of millions and GO AWAY! We will not waver in our commitment to each other and to our demands until you do. Our protests will continue, our boycotts will continue and before long your asset will be worthless. For the greater good of all the communities in New England that this company serves, accept the offer.
Your faces and names forever will be attached to the outcome of this deal. You are not only destroying the cousins you so despise by dragging this on for a few pennies more but you are also destroying a cherished way of life for every single one of us.
Arthur S. Demoulas, Fotene Demoulas, Diana Merriam and Rafaela Evans Demoulas, this story is yours to write an ending to. Only you can limit the damage done to your names and your reputations.
Shout out those names. Maybe if we do it loud enough they will finally realize that we exist and that their greed is killing us.
Customers, please come join us tomorrow at our store rallies or at our HQ rally where we’ll have music and food along with our dogged determination to win this battle versus their unrelenting greed.