Vermont Business Magazine Workers at the Burlington Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop have formed a union organizing committee and petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for an election, according to Workers United Upstate NY & VT. The workers, who are known as “Scoopers,” have named their organization “Scoopers United”; they have the backing of Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont, the same union that launched the Starbucks Workers United organizing campaign, which became the first Starbucks to unionize in Rochester, NY, in April 2022. In their letter to management, the workers detailed how their unionizing dovetails with Ben & Jerry’s mission. Meanwhile, the iconic Vermont ice cream brand said it will support the union drive.
“The support and comradery this store has cultivated are rare and unique,” they wrote. “Collectively, we have come to embody Ben and Jerry’s slogan of “peace, love, and ice cream.” We are taught from the beginning of our employment that equality and justice are integral rights of ours as people. But what happens when Vermont’s Finest are continuously left out of these conversations?”
Rebeka Mendelsohn, she/her, a two-year Ben and Jerry’s Shift Manager and Catering Lead, elaborated on the overlap between the values of the union and the company. “I think of this union as a sign of respect for Ben & Jerry’s,” she said. “We’re a company that stands for social justice rights and equity, and I want to ensure that this message is translated to all levels of employment. A union will allow scoopers to enact agency over their work environments and make room for cooperative collaboration between all.”
Workers have cited the fact that they lack a voice in key workplace decisions, on topics ranging from health and safety issues to staffing to pay, as their primary reason for organizing.
Jess Schenk, she/her, a one-year Shift Manager, said, "I am enthusiastic to come together with my coworkers to invite more transparency and better communication in the workplace. I look forward to decision making being a group effort with diverse input."
The workers have asked Ben & Jerry’s, which is a wholly owned autonomous subsidiary of multinational corporation Unilever, to sign a code of corporate conduct called the Fair Election Principles, pledging to respect workers’ right to organize and refrain from union-busting. This is the same set of principles that Starbucks has refused to sign, but that embody the spirit of a collaborative and cooperative relationship between a company and a union -- the kind of relationship Ben & Jerry’s workers, whom the company refers to collectively as the “herd,” are seeking to forge with their company’s leaders.
Ben & Jerry's sent a statement to the Associated Press saying it supports “the goal of advancing justice, both inside and outside our company” and, “That’s why we recognize and support the rights of all workers to unionize 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.”
Parker Kimberly, he/him, a one-year Shift Manager at the scoop shop, said: "This union of our herd will help all of us in the Ben and Jerry's family regain the spirit of our social mission. I am thrilled to be a part of this movement, as it empowers us as scoopers and creates a space for inclusive dialogue!"
The Vermont labor community also stands behind the Ben & Jerry’s workers in their fight to unionize their workplace.
“We hope Ben & Jerry’s will respect their scoop shop workers’ right to form a union and begin bargaining in good faith without delay,” said Katie Harris, she/her, Vice President of the Vermont AFL-CIO. “It’s not only core to their own mission, it’s the right thing to do. Worker solidarity is justice’s main ingredient and holds everything together. It’s like ice cream – without respect for workers’ rights, all you have is a bunch of random toppings.”
The Vermont AFL-CIO said Monday night that it has stood with Ben & Jerry’s Scoopers United "in their heroic efforts to make both the Church Street Scoop Shop a better place to work and the world a better place to live."
The VT AFL-CIO was contacted by Ben & Jerry’s workers on March 26th. An intake call and meeting were arranged. Field Organizer Trey Cook guided them through the next steps, including how to talk with coworkers. Organizing has been a priority of the VT AFL-CIO ever since the reform slate currently in power called United! won all seats of its Executive Board in 2019.
“Whenever we receive a request for organizing support, we try to respond within 24 hours,” commented Executive Director Liz Medina. “We want workers to win. To do that, we need to be right there when they need us. We introduced them to the various unions representing retail and Ben & Jerry’s workers and discussed the fundamentals of organizing. We are thrilled that they decided to form a union.”
The difference between other ice cream brands and Ben & Jerry’s, VT AFL-CIO said, is the belief of its founders – Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield – that making great ice cream is not enough. As stated on their website, “We love making ice cream - but using our business to make the world a better place gives our work its meaning.”
In fact, Ben & Jerry’s seems to be serious. Again, according to their website, they know the root of many of our problems stems from our economic system – specifically “capitalism” and the inequality it produces. They note it has produced a “gap between the rich and the poor [that] is wider than at any time since the 1920s.” Therefore, Ben & Jerry’s spends a portion of its proceeds on projects designed to “meet human needs” and “eliminate injustices.”
Scoopers United is serious, too, VT AFL-CIO said, so they are coming together as a union to help Ben & Jerry’s eliminate some of its own injustices. Despite making over $900 million in sales just this last year – more than Häagen Dazs, Bluebell, and Breyers – many of their Burlington Scoop Shop workers make only $15/hr. According to the Vermont Legislative Joint Fiscal Office’s “2022 Vermont Basic Needs Budgets And Livable Wage Report,” a single person working in an urban area in Vermont would need at least $20.03/hr just to meet their basic, human needs – five dollars an hour less than many scoopers.
”I think our workplace operates on the idea that you give 110 percent and that goes out to the community and the people we serve,” said Mendelsohn. “I just wish we were allowed to feel like we were part of the business and the decision-making process.”
As Vermont’s largest labor federation, "We know that workers’ struggles are never just about wages. They are about safety and, more importantly, dignity and respect, including having a seat at the table. Harris said, “We hope Ben & Jerry’s will respect their scoop shop workers’ right to form a union and begin bargaining in good faith without delay. It’s not only core to their own mission, it’s the right thing to do. Worker solidarity is justice’s main ingredient and holds everything together. It’s like ice cream – without respect for workers’ rights, all you have is a bunch of random toppings.”
“In the grand scheme of things, my employer is working toward something bigger,” Mendelsohn said. “And I see such a potential for a union for employees and staff.”
All 37 workers employed at the Church Street Scoop Shop have signed cards expressing a desire to join Workers United, an SEIU affiliate that recently organized the Starbucks in South Burlington. Upon winning union recognition, this will be the first organized Ben & Jerry's retail shop in the United States. Workers United has committed to signing a Solidarity Charter with the VT AFL-CIO.
On April 21 Senator Bernie Sanders weighed in with his support, saying: "Ben & Jerry’s has a long and proud history of being a progressive and socially conscious company. Now that scoopers in Burlington, VT have come together to form a union, my strong hope is that the company will voluntarily recognize the union and negotiate a fair first contract."
Source: 4.17.2023. BURLINGTON, VT -- Workers United Upstate NY & VT Rochester Regional Joint Board – Unions Bettering Lives (workersunitedupstate.org) Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO
