Part-Time Westford Market Basket Workers Laid Off

Market Basket on Thursday announced it started laying off employees—and that included Westford workers.

The grocery chain, which operates 71 locations in northern New England, has been embroiled in an epic family feud between ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas and his cousin, Arthur S. Last month, thousands of workers went on strike, demanding that Arthur T. be reinstated.

Westford has two Market Stores—one in Cornerstone Plaza and another at the Westford Valley Marketplace.

State Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, said he spoke to a constituent who was a part-time Westford worker and was laid off when she went into work Thursday morning. He said she was worried about how she will pay rent and make her car payment.

It was not clear exactly how many workers were laid off Thursday. Executives had threatened to replace employees who didn’t get back to work this week. The company has been holding a job fair while it weighs selling a majority share to Arthur T. or several other bidders—one of which is reportedly the parent company of Hannaford.

The shelves at both Westford stores have been bare, as the protests have limited deliveries. They are the only major grocery chains in Westford. Nearby, there’s a Donelan’s in Littleton and a Shaw’s in Groton.