World News | BEN&JERRY-UNION-DRIVE Ben & Jerry's Supports Vermont Workers' Unionisation Drive
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Vermont ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's said Tuesday it supports a plan to unionise by the workers at a retail shop in the same city where the brand, known as much for its social activism as its products, was founded.
Burlington (US), Apr 18 (AP) Vermont ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's said Tuesday it supports a plan to unionise by the workers at a retail shop in the same city where the brand, known as much for its social activism as its products, was founded.
Ben & Jerry's said, in a statement, it shares “the goal of advancing justice, both inside and outside our company.” The ice cream manufacturer was founded in a former gas station a short distance from its retail shop in downtown Burlington.
“That's why we recognise and support the rights of all workers to unionise and collectively bargain,” the company said. "Ben & Jerry's is committed to the goal of operating our company in a way that is fair, inclusive, and equitable, while being a dynamic and fun place for all workers."
About 40 employees at the Burlington shop said Monday they had formed an organising committee and petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for an election. They said they have the support of the upstate New York & Vermont chapter of Workers United , the union that started the Starbucks unionisation campaign in Buffalo, New York.
“I think the statement is a great sign,” Workers United organising director Jaz Brisack, who covers upstate New York and Vermont, said Tuesday after seeing Ben & Jerry's statement.
Brisack said they were hopeful Ben & Jerry's would partner with the workers in forming the union.
The so-called scoopers submitted the petition needed to hold a union election to the National Labor Relations Board on Monday. Brisack didn't know how soon an election could be held, but they hoped it would be soon.
Founded in 1978, but currently owned by consumer goods conglomerate Unilever, Ben & Jerry's has not shied away from social causes. While many businesses tread lightly in politics for fear of alienating customers, the ice cream maker, which sells its products across the world, has taken the opposite approach, often espousing progressive causes. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)