Market Basket Workers Say It Will Be Tough To Survive With Hours Cut

BURLINGTON (CBS) – Gut-wrenching. That's how one Market Basket manager described the decision to drastically reduce the hours of the company's part-time workers as the employee revolt enters its third week.

"It's gut wrenching," said the Burlington store's Front End manager John Garon. "That's the issue [the company] needs to be resolving - is the customers. They should not be worrying about the workers."

Market Basket workers began their revolt three weeks after the company ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. Since then, the company's 71 stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire have remained open but business has dropped heavily as shelves go unstocked.

Another employee, 16-year-old Emily Morris who has been with the company for one month, said she was worried about the older employees.

"I just think of everybody else who has been working here for 30 years," Morris said.

Morris said she never thought the company battle would get to this point.

"I couldn't speak … I didn't think it would really get to the point where I didn't have a job," Morris said.

Garon stressed the employees are depending on the company for income and survival.

"These people need their jobs," he said. "They need these jobs to buy food, pay rent and pay for their books."

Garon was referring to workers like 20-year-old Mary Boroza, of Burlington.

"[Hours being cut] was very disappointing because I have a lot of things to pay for," she said, including school books and car insurance.

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