Ben & Jerry’s supports Vermont workers’ unionization drive

BURLINGTON, Vermont –

Vermont ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s stated Tuesday it helps a plan to unionize by the employees at a retail store in the identical metropolis the place the model, often known as a lot for its social activism as its merchandise, was based.

Ben & Jerry’s stated, in an announcement, it shares “the goal of advancing justice, both inside and outside our company.” The ice cream producer was based in a former fuel station a brief distance from its retail store in downtown Burlington.

“That’s why we recognize and support the rights of all workers to unionize and collectively bargain,” the corporate stated. “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 workers on the Burlington store stated Monday they’d shaped an organizing committee and petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for an election. They stated they’ve the help of the upstate New York & Vermont chapter of Workers United , the union that began the Starbucks unionization marketing campaign in Buffalo, New York.

“I think the statement is a great sign,” Workers United organizing director Jaz Brisack, who covers upstate New York and Vermont, stated Tuesday after seeing Ben & Jerry’s assertion.

Brisack stated they have been hopeful Ben & Jerry’s would associate with the employees in forming the union.

The so-called scoopers submitted the petition wanted to carry a union election to the National Labor Relations Board on Monday. Brisack did not understand how quickly an election could possibly be held, however they hoped it will be quickly.

Founded in 1978, however presently owned by client items conglomerate Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s has not shied away from social causes. While many companies tread calmly in politics for worry of alienating prospects, the ice cream maker, which sells its merchandise internationally, has taken the alternative method, typically espousing progressive causes.