Market Basket's board of directors has fired two suspended executives who are loyal to suspended CEO Arthur T. Demoulas.Joseph Schmidt, director of operations, and Tom Gordon, grocery director, were both fired Tuesday in the latest chapter in the struggle for control of the popular supermarket chain.

Two Market Basket executives spoke out Wednesday after they were both informed a day earlier they were being fired from their positions after a combined 89 years working at the company.

In a statement, Market Basket board of directors said the terminations came as a result of a recent internal investigation that found the two supervisors engaged in “insubordination, making false and derogatory remarks about the company and people associated with it, and inappropriate communications with colleagues.”