THE LAST STAND FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS IS TAKING PLACE IN A PARKING LOT IN MASSACHUSETTS

[graywarrior]

It's Esquire, but it's a great article.

(snip)
This is even in liberal Massachusetts, so it's surprising to learn that an enterprise like Market Basket has been so successful without financially strangling its workforce. According to the so-called experts, that kind of equitable math isn't supposed to add up in America. After all, the leading food retailer nationwide is Walmart, and Walmart encourages its employees to go on food stamps to get by.

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/market-basket-fight?src=soc_fcbks

[Agschmid]

1. Kick, gotta read it!

[Agschmid]

2. .

The American economy no longer exists to support a thriving middle class, or to help the weakest among us attain a livable wage for an honest day's work. It is solely in existence to add to the pile of wealth for the unchecked at the top.

[MADem]

3. That's MY grocery store--that we LOVE....and we're BOYCOTTING in support of the workers! nt

[canoeist52]

4. And this is why we, the customers are boycotting

We're not "morons". We will lose the 20% savings over the pricing at competing store.

"They're not morons. Every one of them seems to understand that if Arthur S. unloads the supermarket to private equity, Market Basket as they know it will cease to exist."

[meegbear]

5. And winning!

[steve2470]

6. k&r nt

[riderinthestorm]

7. K&R nt

[ellennelle]

8. "it's esquire, BUT it's a great article"?????

have you not heard of charlie pierce????

good article, and thx for posting, but you do need to check out your source more carefully. esquire is pretty awesome, and charlie pierce is THE BEST political writer, with the pithiest snark on the planet!

just saying'.

and yes, am boycotting market basket here, as well.

[Greybnk48]

14. LOL,ellenelle! I was going to say the same thing about Esquire and C.P.

LOVE Charlie Pierce--and he IS the best, and Esquire is consistently awesome!

[JaneyVee]

18. Seriously, Esquire is awesome.

[graywarrior]

21. D'oh!

[sheshe2]

9. KnR

And I too am boycotting!

[FailureToCommunicate]

10. Our usual second stop after Trader Joes. But not while the boycott is ongoing. Hopefully they'll

bring in expert negotiators and sort this mess out...

[Dustlawyer]

11. The price of low prices is low wages for the employees. Low wages of everyone creates the demand

for the low prices. All of it is a symptom of corporate greed and control over our politicians! It has been in the news for quite some time that Walmart encourages it's employees to apply for welfare and Food Stamps making the tax payer subsidize Walmart. What have we seen done about this in Congress, nothing. From Democrats in Congress, nothing.

When will we start to take action? I suggest we protest this Fall when the Midterm election cycle is at its peak. Let's get the money out of our election system!

Sept 13th - Nov 4th and beyond let's protest to take away campaign donations in favor of Publicly Funded Federal, State, and Local Elections! The corporate media can air the ads as a public service for use of our airwaves under license. The more money a candidate raises, the more we ask them, What do you have to do for all that money?" Use their strength against them!

Please spread the word and organize your city/town. WE CAN DO THIS!

[rox63]

12. Under Artie T, Market Basket managed to deliver low prices while paying its workers decent wages

The new management wants to suck money out of the company and pay the workers poverty wages. Even though I've shopped at Market Basket for my whole life, I'm supporting the workers and Artie T by boycotting their stores for now. The loyal customers will come back if this gets settled fairly for all parties.

[Dustlawyer]

13. We have Market Baskets in my town, not many shop at them. One is next to a Kroger and

looking at the parking lots the difference is stark. MB will be virtually empty, while Kroger's will be very crowded. I didn't go because their meat selection is bad and overpriced. I will continue my boycott!

Anytime the workers strike FOR a member of management, you need to pay attention!

[Mopar151]

15. Costco is often cited here as disproving this canard.

And tne Artie T. version of Market Basket has similar metrics. What it amounts to - cheap help is not very productive at the best of times, and fixing their f-ups and hiring new waves of them frequently is expensive, whether it shows up as a direct cost or not.
Bad bosses love cheap help because they are threatened by anybody who is'nt scared of them.

[PoliticAverse]

19. "the survey found that Market Basket had, on average, lower prices than all of their competitors

including Walmart." (from the article).

[Atman]

16. Massachusetts has a couple of excellent locally-based grocery chains.

Big Y, Market Basket; locally owned, good to their employees, excellent quality produce mostly locally sourced. I feel sorry for the people who live in places where Wall Mart or one of the Royal Dutch Ahold chains are their only choices.

[MissDeeds]

17. Hope this tactic catches on

Standing up for the good guy - what a great idea.



K&R

[Enthusiast]

20. Kicked and recommended!

Private equity = disaster capitalism.

[graywarrior]

22. UPDATE: 68 of the 71 store directors have all signed that they will resign

if Artie T is not reinstated. The few that did not sign are on vacation.

[graywarrior]

23. Recent message on Save MB fb page

NOTICE TO MB NATION:
It's going to get very ugly now. With the help of O'Neil & Associates, the BOD—including the three "independent" "professionals"—are going to make statements that are designed to make us so angry that we lose control. If we take the bait, we will look as vengeful and nasty as some of those BOD members truly are. I have some previous experience in non-violent civil disobedience and am encouraging all of us (myself included) to resist the temptation to sink to their level.
KEEP IT CLASSY AND KIND, FOLKS. Try not to make jokes that are over-the-line or arguments that amount to personal attacks. If you need to vent, DO IT PRIVATELY rather than online or in front of a store. But DON'T BACK DOWN EITHER. Heroes like Rosa Parks and Gandhi, etc. didn't SAY much. They just kept walking or refused to move. We are strongest when we smile and say "please" and "thank you." BE READY to "turn the other cheek" if someone yells at you. DON'T argue. Just stand firm, with heads held high and necks stuck out.

[Mopar151]

24. Got some smart folks there!

Something I learned from outlaw bikers - being elaborately polite makes people who hate you explode!

[graywarrior]

25. lol

So true. My bro is an ex-biker. He can smile you to death, lol.

[valerief]

26. Good article. Great headline. So true. This is a stand against slave labor.

That's why we MB customers are boycotting.