Guest Post by Jesse
“Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you’re talking about, they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?Anyway, my father didn’t think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they’re cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you’ll ever be!”George Baily in It’s a Wonderful Life
This is by far the most remarkable story I have seen in a while.
In the latest development, Mr. Demoulas has made an offer to buy his company back.
If only more of us would put people before power and greed, and insist that our leaders live up to their duties to the people first, and not wallow in money and privileges for themselves and their cronies, while spreading fear and hatred to keep the people compliant.
Then that really might be ‘a wonderful life.’
Meet America’s Most Beloved CEO—Too Bad He Just Got FiredBrad TuttleJuly 23, 2014After the wealthy CEO of a supermarket chain was fired, thousands of workers walked off the job in protest—some getting fired themselves. What’s up with that?Workers understandably tend to go on strike or protest for selfish reasons—more pay, better benefits, improved working conditions. Over the last week in New England, however, thousands of employees at Market Basket, a supermarket chain with 71 stores in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, have been sticking their necks out (and in some cases putting their jobs on the line) in support of Arthur T. Demoulas, who was the company CEO until he was fired in June.Rallies pushing for “Arthur T.” to be given his job back were held at the Market Basket headquarters in Tewksbury, Mass., on Friday and Monday, drawing upwards of 5,000 protestors. Meanwhile, the shelves of many Market Basket locations have gone barren, as there are too few employees still on the job to stock them. At least eight employees were fired over the weekend related to the protests…“He’s George Bailey,” Trainor explained to the Washington Post, comparing Arthur T. Demoulas to the beloved savings-and-loan manager played by Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life. “He cares more about people than he does about money….”Read the entire story here.
The programmers currently putting the finishing touches on the robots that will replace these workers have noted your article. They have made sure that no compassion subroutines have inadvertently slipped into the code. Thank you for your service to cybernetic commerce.
There’s hope.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of my All-Time-Favourites. Have to see it at least once every Christmas! Normally it was played in germand television somewhere about midnight between 23./24. December.
What an Irony: in 1947 there was this really good, noble man…who was willing to commit suicide because there were (from no fault of his own!) a mere $8.000 missing and unobtainable from his cashiers box.
2007 there were about $800.000.000.000 missing in the banking system…at LEAST…and instead of jumping off their penthouses, the banksters raised their bonuses…how a mere 60 years DO changs things.
..
The irony is Arthur T. built his fathers company into a powerhouse using cash flow and minimizing debt. He aggressively paid vendors in order to negotiate the best pricing and consistently passes on savings to the customer. His profit sharing is unlike an in the grocery business and it encourages amazing loyalty. It is also one of the reasons Market Basket never became a union shop. The store are spotless and the staff is always courteous. The two clowns who they replaced him with are a pair of debt inducing corporate/bank layoff specialists. Felicia Thornton was the CFO of Albertsons which she left with a 17.2 million dollar golden parachute as they closed down 37 stores:
http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/5007100/ufcw-sale-of-albertsons-nets-management-team-multimillion-dollar-golden-parachutes-while-37-store-closings-leave-workers-jobless
Jim Gooch was the former CEO of Radio Shack and we all know how that’s going to work out. They just want to squeeze the last possible penny out of the workers before they over leverage the business and drive it into bankruptcy while walking away with millions. All with the approval of the Wall Street gangs. This is not capitalism’s creative destruction, this is wall streets raping and pillaging of the average worker in order to further enrich themselves.
Bob.