I’m based outside of Boston, and the big news in these parts last week was the work stoppage by employees at Market Basket, a New England-wide, family owned, grocery store chain with more than 70 stores, 25,000 employees, and annual revenues around $4 billion.
So, what’s so unusual about a work stoppage among dissatisfied employees? In this case, several things:
Of course, there’s more underlying all this.
Market Basket is famous for their low prices, yet they also pay employees at the top of the scale and offer excellent benefits. And the chain continues to grow, profitably.
Buried in the myriad news stories are employee concerns that, under new leadership (co-CEOs brought in from the outside, which is also a departure from a culture of hire-from-the-ranks), prices will be raised, benefits will be cut, and the chain will be prepped for sale. Employees don’t trust new leadership to put the best interests of the employees and the customers first.
That’s why employees – by the thousands – are rallying in protest, demanding nothing less than the reinstatement of ATD as CEO, saying they will work for no one else. Store shelves are emptying as new merchandise (especially perishable produce and meats) are being blocked from delivery. And employee messages of support are very publicly in the face of customers.
See these images from Twitter (right, and below).
Even more telling are the statements from employees who are putting their livelihood on the line:
And then there as ATD’s response:
This is the first time I have commented publicly on the recent events at Market Basket. The success of Market Basket is the result of two things: a business model that works and the execution of it by a dedicated and impassioned team of associates. Their fierce loyalty to the company and its customers has always been deeply valued. In the final analysis, this is not about me. It is about the people who have proven their dedication over many years and should not have lost their jobs because of it. I urge that they be reinstated in the best interest of the company and our customers.”
ATD’s not asking for his job back. He’s asking for the jobs of the people who support him who were fired for their loyalty.
Now think about your company, its culture, and your CEO and ask yourself:
There are a lot of reasons I choose to work for Globoforce. That list above is just a few. Can you say the same?
This was originally published on the Recognize This! blog.
