I wrote this last night on my personal page and was Asked to share it here. Good luck tomorrow! I am so proud of all of you! My thought of the day on Demoulas/ Market Basket. I am proud of these workers for standing up and fighting for what they believe in. These people are not a union, they are not fighting for pay increases, befits, longer lunch breaks or for the bathrooms to get remodeled. They are fighting for their beloved former C.E.O. Who was fired last month in the name of a greedy family who felt that the billions they already had was not enough...they wanted more.... What does it say for a man that 25,000 employees, many of which live paycheck to paycheck who are willing to walk away from their job to fight for you. Arthur T. Demoulas is a kind, generous man who has never treated anyone in the company any different, from the man sitting upstairs over the booth to the special needs sacker. Everyone was valued equally. I had the pleasure of working with this man for years and saw how he interacted with employees and customers. If the store was busy he would walk over and start bagging. One of the many lessons he had taught me when I was just a young kid which I still take with me in positions overseeing other employees. Never ask anyone to do something you are not willing to do yourself. To have your employees put their livelihood on the line to fight for you says a lot about a man. A man who has not once asked for this support or for anyone to jeopardize their Job for him. On their own, yet combined as a team with the dedication & loyalty for this man along with the values of teamwork that he instilled on all of us who have worked there past & present. They individually, came together as one to stand together and fight for what they are most passionate about...their company...their jobs...their family. Sadly, several of them lost their jobs this past weekend, fighting for the cause, standing up for what they believe in. It made me start to think about the poem The Dash (by Linda Ellis copyright 1996) What an amazing man how Artie T. Has touched the lives of so many thousands of people. Clearly, a man who has been living his Dash the right way. So....Artie S., Gooch and Pooch or whatever your names are...how you sleep at night is beyond me... You want to dismantle this amazing company. sell it off so you can buy bigger houses, cars, boats or perhaps a personality ....but that greed couldnt buy you loyalty. If you choose not to listen to the masses, how the hell are you going to try to sell off this company (which from what Ive seen the last week has lost far more money than earned) Plus who in their right mind would want to buy a company with 25,000 crazy bastards ready to throw it all on the line to fight for what is right. Artie T. Thank you for allowing us all to be a part of your dash. Artie S. Well, perhaps you can buy people to say nice things about your dash. Keep on fighting Basketeers! You are making history. The amazing community support in all these towns of the 71 stores from the customers to fellow businesses donating food and water to the protesting workers speaks volumes. Lee Anne Hillard- McInnis (Former Salem 6/ Lee Drug employee) The Dash by Linda Ellis I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend He referred to the dates on her tombstone From the beginning to the end He noted that first came her date of her birth And spoke the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years For that dash represents all the time That she spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved her Know what that little line is worth. For it matters not how much we own; The cars, the house, the cash, What matters is how we live and love And how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left, That can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough To consider what’s true and real And always try to understand The way other people feel. And be less quick to anger, And show appreciation more And love the people in our lives Like we’ve never loved before. If we treat each other with respect, And more often wear a smile Remembering that this special dash Might only last a little while. So, when your eulogy is being read With your life’s actions to rehash Would you be proud of the things they say About how you spent your dash?
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 23:35:53 +0000