When a hard-fought election is over, no matter how strongly a candidate thinks he or she should have won, the results sink in and the person is forced to put on a happy face while conceding defeat. Often, it is a matter of only a few hours between visualizing being sworn in and the realization that the electorate has gone for someone else.

After all the weeks that have passed, with Market Basket’s business down 90 percent and its entire part-time workforce put “on leave,” it’s time for the current management to realize that there is no way for them to come out winners in this battle. It’s obvious that the board of directors thought they could wait out their employees before they came crawling back. But that’s irrelevant now, because the customers have voted with their feet and decided to support Arthur T. At this point, it doesn’t matter who among the warring factions is right, because the ultimate arbiter of victory for any business is the customer base. The crew running the show right now is receiving an ongoing vote of no confidence from the people who pay the bills.

Are they really willing to let this very successful supermarket chain collapse or get sold over some hard feelings that nobody outside of them cares about? The voters have spoken. It’s time for Arthur S. and his supporters to put their grudges aside and listen. They won’t even have to make concession speeches.

Bill Chisholm

Nashua

Newsletter