Authors of New Book Discuss How Labor Movement Changed a Company
10/13/2015
Media contacts: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
* M E D I A A D V I S O R Y *
Wednesday, Oct. 14
11:45 a.m.
WHAT: One of the most powerful recent events in U.S. labor will be explored during a UMass Lowell Lunchtime Lecture that will feature the authors of the new book “We Are Market Basket: The Story of the Unlikely Grassroots Movement that Saved a Beloved Business.”
In the summer of 2014, thousands of the New England supermarket chain’s employees – who were not unionized and not otherwise protected from losing their jobs – staged a successful walkout and inspired a consumer boycott in support of ousted company CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. After an uprising that lasted several weeks, Demoulas was re-instated and gained control of the company after a decades-long family fight.
Worth an estimated $4 billion, the business employs some 25,000 people in more than 70 stores across the region. The empire began in 1917 as a neighborhood grocery opened by Greek immigrants Athanasios (“Arthur”) and Efrosene Demoulas in Lowell.
Authors Grant Welker and Daniel Korschun will share the Demoulas family’s history, the decisions made in the company’s executive suites and the stories behind the protests waged in the streets. Welker is a reporter who covered the walkout and Korschun is a marketing professor at Drexel University. The book, which offers a compelling case study in management-labor relations, is required reading for students in UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business this year.
The Lunchtime Lecture Series brings engaging speakers to campus for discussions on current events and community issues. The programs are presented by UMass Lowell and the Moses Greeley Parker Lectures with support from campus and community partners.
WHERE: University Crossing, Moloney Hall, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell. Contact UMass Lowell media relations for directions and parking information.