This morning's message from Save Market Basket

[graywarrior]

Well it is 7:30am and ZERO associates that have been out of work have gone back in, we guess that is the answer to your threat and offer of amnesty. In fact, there are more protestors at the office at this time of day then there have been before.

The Job Fair is also a joke, no self respecting current MB associate is going to go to the fair and try to take another associate's position. This just goes to show you that, yet again, the BOD, F&G and A shareholders have underestimated us and our resolve.

The answer lies with the A shareholders and BOD. The associates have asked for only one thing, bring ATD back with full authority, our customers have spoken, bring ATD back and they will come back, ATD has offered to come back, without a deal in place and the BOD and A shareholders just look the other way.

What is wrong with these people, we know how ASD is but what about Rafaela, Fotene and Diana? Is this what they want their legacy to be? To blindly follow a sociopath into ruin? We could all be back to work and they could walk away with their spoils yet it appears that they would rather allow the Company to go into bankruptcy than sell to ATD. If they continue along this path of destruction we all lose, the customers, the associates and all of the shareholders.

[safeinOhio]

1. Bad blood between family

equals bad business. Duh.

[valerief]

5. And, as usual, the worker bees and public be damned. nt

[Cha]

2. ..

for the workers.. thanks graywarrior.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. plus one

[Agschmid]

3. Wow.

[canoeist52]

4. Would love to know where the board of directors is getting their advice.

It looks like "dog in a manger" syndrome. We don't want, it but you can't have it either -'til it all crashes down around them,

[valerief]

6. Aren't they doing what all boards today do? Except that most boards

aren't effectively challenged today.

[Chan790]

8. My guess...investment bankers.

I don't like it, but I spent enough time in banking to know that if your only concern is maximizing the valuation of your personal share in divesting...that nothing is going to provide as high of a return here as liquidation and sale, probably to a national grocery conglomerate like Albertsons LLC, The Kroger Company or Royal Ahold.

The last one is the most likely...they'd pay the most as they already have a regional presence...buying MB would give them a dominant market-share throughout the Northeast where they already own Stop & Shop and Giant. There's also the big elephant in the room...a larger corporation that has been trying to break into the grocery industry in the Northeast with little success: Walmart. They might be an interested buyer to obtain the chain and open/possess supermarkets in New England where their own brand trademarks have negative reception. That's a less-likely possibility but it's not illogical or impossible.

I'm pretty sure that liquidation has been ASD's long-term plan all along. The problem therein is that this kind of protest may help that position by making the company inviable to remain in business if this drags on. That's the problem...there's no reason for ASD to relent...either the associates relent so he can better position the company to sell and he wins...or the protest kills the company and he wins. The protest isn't going to harm the purchase price for any of those buyers...they don't give a shit about the revenues of a company that they're going to gut--they're in it for market share, locations, competitive nullification (eliminating a competitor) and in Walmart's case, the sign over the door.

[freshwest]

12. Agree. The demand will still be there, and someone will do it. The BOD will retire in style.

I'm wondering how much debt they've saddled the company with already, to increase their wealth with no intention of making good on the debt. So they're pushing to bankruptcy.

Sounds like a Bain manuever that will not effect them. They don't have to shop there and can afford to send out help to buy what they need or have it delivered.

[Armstead]

18. It's a precarious tipping point.. Inspiring Success story or Depressing Defeat to Darkness Overlords

[canoeist52]

7. Yeah but I wish I knew what their end game was.

Because, in the long run, it appears like they're shooting themselves in the foot. Doesn't make sense.

[canoeist52]

9. A letter to Attorney General Coakley

"Letter I emailed to Attorney General Coakley's office a few minutes ago at [e-mail]

PLEASE WRITE TO HER WITH THESE SAME CONCERNS!!! WE NEED HER HELP NOW TO STOP THE FIRING SQUAD!!!!

"Dear Attorney General Coakley,

Thank you for recently alerting the Market Basket co-CEO's Felicia Thornton and James Gooch that their actions towards the current Market Basket employees are being carefully monitored. It has been brought to my attention that another dedicated member of MB's senior supervision staff, Mr. Jerry Paquette, was fired yesterday - Sunday, August 3rd. Please note that he was fired *before* the deadline of today to return to work. Mr. Paquette is a trusted member of the MB leadership, and he has been working during this boycott to support the employees and make sure all under his jurisdiction are safe and fairly treated. He has been visiting the stores to check on the status of the staff and physical store presentation. (I have seen him in the Billerica store #17 with my very own eyes, and I spoke to him personally after he finished speaking to the Asst. Store Director there.) Mr. Paquette has been doing all he can with his authority to try to help bring about a resolution between the MB Board of Directors and the shareholders. Also, please note that Mr. Paquette is a gentleman in his early 70's. Is this age discrimination? Whatever the reason, his firing seems unlawful and without just cause.

Also, through one of my co-workers at MB, it is my understanding that the MB Andover warehouse staff members who have reported for work earlier this morning *in accordance with the deadline publicly advertised by Thornton and Gooch* were escorted off the property by hired, armed security. (One of my co-workers at my store has a boyfriend who works in the warehouse, and when they spoke earlier this morning he reported to her that armed guards threw him off the property and would not allow him to return to his post.) How can the warehouse staff report to work if they are forced to vacate the premises by security guards hired by the CEOs? Previous to the boycott all warehouse employees have been in good standing, so this also seems unlawful and without just cause.

The two co-CEO's have ordered unjust action to be taken against current employees at Market Basket. I urge and implore your office to investigate these actions on the part of the two new co-CEO's immediately. Please do not hesitate to contact me to request further details.

Thank you very much for your time in this important matter.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Destroismaison
Part-time MB employee or 18 years, currently serving in Billerica #17""

[BrotherIvan]

19. Unbelievable!

Your letter is excellent. I can't believe the current management is being so damn stupid.

Good luck to all of you!

[blm]

11. BasketStrong

; )

[DeSwiss]

13. ''What is wrong with these people?''

I think you've scared them. And pissed them off. The rabble daring to inject their opines into ''our'' affairs?

- But with their classicist prejudices, they've painted themselves into a corner. And blame you for putting them there.....

K&R

[graywarrior]

14. They didn't expect this but I imagine there's some intense business decisions being made

that doesn't give a damn about the employees or customers.

[Bonhomme Richard]

15. My gut tells me two things.....

1. This is all about power and those on the board and the family have taken the "employees don't get to tell us what to do...fuck them" attitude. It's un-American telling the Board what to do.

2. In order to maintain that stance, because at the end of the day it is all about the money to some people, they have an exit strategy in place and they know they can't be personally hurt financially.

An aside...they are probably being supported by and told by others in the industry, ie. big chains, that the employees must not win or Pandora's box will be opened and they will all have to deal with "unruly employees".

[graywarrior]

16. Excellent analysis!

There's something bigger in play.

[senseandsensibility]

17. Go, workers! Don't lose heart.

Thanks for the update, gw.

[sheshe2]

20. Kicking!