Hundreds of Market Basket employees and supporters urging the return of ousted Market Basket CEO Arthur T. Demoulas descended upon Tewksbury’s Stadium Plaza on Thursday.
Among those hundreds included several employees from Westford’s two Market Baskets who stood in support of Demoulas, as well as eight employees that were fired over the weekend in response to the protests.
While none of those employees came from either of Westford’s two stores, the mood at both of them is tense and melancholy.
David Daigle, a manager at the Cornerstone Market Basket, has been with the company since 1980. He started in Lowell under the supervision of his father, who worked 35 years with the company. His two sons now work for the company.
In his eyes, that may all be coming to an end.
The man who hired Daigle, Bill Marsden, was one of the eight employees fired over the weekend, and he says that Arthur T. Demoulas was a guest at his wedding and is a frequent visitor to his store.
“We’re disgusted,” says Daigle. “There’s no other choice, (Demoulas) has to come back. We have no product to sell.”
At his store, Daigle’s seen support from community members, saying that many are now staying away from Market Basket altogether.
Erica Mallett, an employee at the Westford Valley Marketplace Market Basket since December, says she has seen the same.
“It’s pretty depressing, we only have two cashiers on and the shelves are emptying,” she said. “I talked to some customers and they’re pretty outraged. Hopefully we can figure this out, our customers stand behind us no matter what. They’re the best.”
A petition is being distributed at both stores as well as stores outside of Westford and online at
wearemarketbasket.com.
The Westford Template was unable to reach a spokesperson for Market Basket’s corporate office and will provide updates as they become available.
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