The face of ousted chief executive Arthur T. Demoulas smiled from a poster taped to the entrance of the Market Basket supermarket in Ashland as employees protest new management they say cares more for "shareholders' profits'' than customers and staff.Store manager Joe Angelari told news partner The Daily News Saturday, "We're going to be here in the store and do our jobs the best we can. We're not shutting down.''He said he believed employee protests had closed the company's headquarters and a warehouse in Tewksbury and another warehouse in Andover that could affect foodstuffs reaching local stores.Angelari said the chain's more than 20,000 employees want "Arthur T.'' returned to his leadership position and believe the new board of directors is more concerned with "putting profits into shareholders' pockets'' than customers' and employees' welfare.A 26-year Demoulas employee who began working for the chain as a teenager, Angelari said the vast majority of employees "want Arthur T. back with full control.''The Methuen resident repeatedly spoke respectfully of "Arthur T." as a "fine man and great boss'' who for years "treated customers and employees fairly.''Elected president by the company's board of directors in 2008, Arthur T. Demoulas was fired on June 23, 2014, along with two other directors.He is the son of Telemachus "Mike'' Demoulas who was involved in a long, acrimonious lawsuit with the heirs of his late brother George Demoulas.The multimillion dollar chain grew from a small grocery store their parents, Greek immigrants "Arthur" and Efrosini Demoulas, opened in Lowell in 1916.Angelari said Market Basket had strong growth during "Arthur T's'' tenure and pointed to a poster in the store, offering customers 4 percent discounts as proof of his commitment to keep prices down.Several customers were aware the controversy swirling around the chain of 71 supermarkets in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, but weren't clear about particulars."I read it's a family feud,'' said Denise Dale, of Holliston. "They're friendly here and convenient. I hope they stay open.''

The face of ousted chief executive Arthur T. Demoulas smiled from a poster taped to the entrance of the Market Basket supermarket in Ashland as employees protest new management they say cares more for "shareholders' profits'' than customers and staff.

Store manager Joe Angelari told news partner The Daily News Saturday, "We're going to be here in the store and do our jobs the best we can. We're not shutting down.''


He said he believed employee protests had closed the company's headquarters and a warehouse in Tewksbury and another warehouse in Andover that could affect foodstuffs reaching local stores.

Angelari said the chain's more than 20,000 employees want "Arthur T.'' returned to his leadership position and believe the new board of directors is more concerned with "putting profits into shareholders' pockets'' than customers' and employees' welfare.

A 26-year Demoulas employee who began working for the chain as a teenager, Angelari said the vast majority of employees "want Arthur T. back with full control.''

The Methuen resident repeatedly spoke respectfully of "Arthur T." as a "fine man and great boss'' who for years "treated customers and employees fairly.''

Elected president by the company's board of directors in 2008, Arthur T. Demoulas was fired on June 23, 2014, along with two other directors.

He is the son of Telemachus "Mike'' Demoulas who was involved in a long, acrimonious lawsuit with the heirs of his late brother George Demoulas.

The multimillion dollar chain grew from a small grocery store their parents, Greek immigrants "Arthur" and Efrosini Demoulas, opened in Lowell in 1916.

Angelari said Market Basket had strong growth during "Arthur T's'' tenure and pointed to a poster in the store, offering customers 4 percent discounts as proof of his commitment to keep prices down.

Several customers were aware the controversy swirling around the chain of 71 supermarkets in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, but weren't clear about particulars.

"I read it's a family feud,'' said Denise Dale, of Holliston. "They're friendly here and convenient. I hope they stay open.''