Arthur T. is not your typical CEO type. He would visit the various stores personally, talking with the workers about the store, ways to improve it, what-have-you. What's more, he listened to his employees and made an effort to take care of them. Wages and benefits at the chain are above industry average, and workers are proud to say they work there. The employees felt a strong connection to Arthur T. and his management style.

When Arthur S. got his cousin fired, the workers were incensed. Arthur T. had done more than just be a good person to chat with and a respectful boss. During his tenure as CEO the company grew at a good clip, never taking on debt to finance an expansion, and generally paying good dividends to family shareholders in addition to good wages to employees.

Workers were worried that the ouster of Arthur T. would mean a sea change at the stores, including but not limited to worse working conditions and lower pay. So, even without a union on hand, workers went on strike. Employees from baggers to cashiers to stockers to warehouse to mid-level management all walked off the job and stood in picket lines. Even without union protection, something they'd never needed under Arthur T., they walked. Sales at Market Basket stores took a nosedive. People who knew Soviet-era Russia store shelves would think they'd walked into a store out of Moscow in the 1980s--no produce, very few cans, a wasteland of empty aisles with barely any shoppers. Employees got nasty letters about abandoning their jobs, but they stayed in front of the stores with signboards.

The governors of both Massachusetts and New Hampshire asked workers to go back on the job, to no avail. Only the return of Arthur T. DeMoulas would bring them back.

Two hours ago, the Boston Globe reported that the side of the family that kicked Artie T. out would sell their complete remaining interest in the company to Artie T's side of the family. For the first time the chain will take on private equity debt, which might be a worrisome thing given the shambles the chain is in after over a month of walkouts and practically no customers, but suppliers and workers all seem ready to make it work again. Arthur S. Demoulas and his side of the family isn't leaving empty-handed. They're getting over $1.5 billion for their share of the company. That's good eating money.

All I know is, as soon as the kids are in school for a day I'm heading to Market Basket and thanking the employees for their bravery. And putting some things in a grocery cart. We need more CEOs like Arthur T. DeMoulas.

Sun Aug 31, 2014 at 2:58 PM PT: Realized I made a small mistake up above. Arthur T. and Arthur S. are cousins, not brothers. I will correct this in the entry shortly.

And, wow--didn't expect this much traffic!