WESTFORD — Following the Market Basket board’s decision last week to fire long-time CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-Westford) wrote a letter to the board praising Demoulas’ tenure leading the grocery store chain, and questioning whether the board made the right decision to part ways with him.
“I’m still grappling with this morning’s news that Market Basket has terminated Arthur T. Demoulas,” Trahan’s letter said. “For me, Market Basket has never been just a grocery store. It’s part of my DNA. Some of my earliest memories are of being hoisted into a shopping cart as my mom navigated the crowded aisles and met up with neighbors. Those trips weren’t just errands — they were rituals that taught me what community feels like, what hard work looks like, and how far a dollar can go when a company truly cares about the people it serves. Artie T., his children, and his executive team have always been the stewards of that experience. Under his leadership, Market Basket stayed true to its mission: treating workers well, keeping prices fair, and creating a store where everyone no matter where they’re from or how much was in their wallet — could feel like they belonged. That wasn’t just good business; it was a moral stance.”
Demoulas was fired following a unanimous vote by the Market Basket board Tuesday night, the board announced Wednesday morning.
The decision comes following months of tension between Demoulas and the board, who took the CEO to court, after accusing him of “having a long-standing history of exercising his own unfettered discretion as to virtually every important decision at the company — while ignoring and stonewalling the Market Basket board,” according to the court case.
Demoulas was placed on leave in May, after the board accused him of planning a “retaliatory work stoppage,” resulting in the board hiring a law firm to investigate.
According to the board, Demoulas was planning the work stoppage as a potential response to discipline that could be brought by the board.
Demoulas’ spokesperson issued a statement on Wednesday in response to his firing, which said “Mr. Demoulas is deeply disappointed that mediation failed despite his very determined efforts to reach a resolution. Over time, it became clear to us that this was not a good faith effort by the board or his sisters to reach agreement on the issues created by their abrupt actions placing Mr. Demoulas, his family and members of his senior management team on leave. It is now crystal clear that they had no intention of reinstating Mr. Demoulas.”
The incident marks the second occasion Demoulas was dismissed as Market Basket CEO. In 2014, he was fired by former Market Basket owner, his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas.
Demoulas, known by many loyal customers as “Artie T.,” has long been popular among Market Basket shoppers; who view him as integral to the store’s low prices and high quality service.
Large protests occurred back in 2014 in response to Demoulas’ previous firing.
“I’m asking the board to remember what this company means to the people who love it,” Trahan’s letter said. “To remember the generations of employees and customers who stood by Artie in 2014 and who still stand by him today. I don’t know what Market Basket will look like in the years ahead. But I hope it will still be the place where a kid can ride in the cart while their parents shop, trusting they’re getting the best prices and feeling, even in that moment, that they’re part of something bigger. Because Market Basket isn’t just a grocery chain. It’s a cornerstone of who we are.”
