The staff at the Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop in Burlington have announced their intent to form a union, NBC5 has learned.In a letter from Scoopers United, a union organizing committee made up of employees, the staff of the popular ice cream shop on Church Street confirmed that they plan to form a union.A letter sent to Ben & Jerry’s leadership discusses the staff’s intent to unionize immediately with Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont.>>>Click the video player above for related coverageScoopers United said employees were driven to unionize because many feel they lack a voice in key workplace decisions including health and safety issues as well as staffing and pay.A letter to corporate elaborated on this, saying, “Despite record-breaking profits, incredible bounce-backs post-pandemic, and unwavering smiles, our staff is exploited within our work environment.” Scoopers United said their efforts to unionize are in harmony with the company’s overarching mission of social justice.”We are taught from the beginning of our employment that equality and justice are integral rights of ours as people,” the letter reads. “But what happens when Vermont’s Finest are continuously left out of these conversations?”The committee has also asked Ben & Jerry’s corporate to sign a code of conduct called the Fair Election Principles, which pledges to respect workers’ right to organize and refrain from union-busting. “I think of this union as a sign of respect for Ben & Jerry’s,” said Rebeka Mendelsohn, a Shift Manager and Catering Lead in a letter from Scoopers United. “A union will allow scoopers to enact agency over their work environments and make room for cooperative collaboration between all.”The Washington Post reported that the drive to unionize began earlier this month, on April 3, during the annual Free Scoop Day. Union organizers said management took away a tip jar that sat on the counter that day before returning it following employee protest.The Washington Post said all 37 scoopers have pledged their support for the union. The Post said union leaders also cited management’s handling of “multiple instances of drug use in the store bathroom” and an overdose last summer as reasons staff want more representation within the company.NBC5 has reached out to Ben & Jerry’s as well as its parent company, Unilever, for comment but has not heard back yet.This story will be updated when more information is available.
The staff at the Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop in Burlington have announced their intent to form a union, NBC5 has learned.
In a letter from Scoopers United, a union organizing committee made up of employees, the staff of the popular ice cream shop on Church Street confirmed that they plan to form a union.
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A letter sent to Ben & Jerry’s leadership discusses the staff’s intent to unionize immediately with Workers United Upstate New York & Vermont.
>>>Click the video player above for related coverage
Scoopers United said employees were driven to unionize because many feel they lack a voice in key workplace decisions including health and safety issues as well as staffing and pay.
A letter to corporate elaborated on this, saying, “Despite record-breaking profits, incredible bounce-backs post-pandemic, and unwavering smiles, our staff is exploited within our work environment.”
Scoopers United said their efforts to unionize are in harmony with the company’s overarching mission of social justice.
“We are taught from the beginning of our employment that equality and justice are integral rights of ours as people,” the letter reads. “But what happens when Vermont’s Finest are continuously left out of these conversations?”
The committee has also asked Ben & Jerry’s corporate to sign a code of conduct called the Fair Election Principles, which pledges to respect workers’ right to organize and refrain from union-busting.
“I think of this union as a sign of respect for Ben & Jerry’s,” said Rebeka Mendelsohn, a Shift Manager and Catering Lead in a letter from Scoopers United. “A union will allow scoopers to enact agency over their work environments and make room for cooperative collaboration between all.”
The Washington Post reported that the drive to unionize began earlier this month, on April 3, during the annual Free Scoop Day. Union organizers said management took away a tip jar that sat on the counter that day before returning it following employee protest.
The Washington Post said all 37 scoopers have pledged their support for the union. The Post said union leaders also cited management’s handling of “multiple instances of drug use in the store bathroom” and an overdose last summer as reasons staff want more representation within the company.
NBC5 has reached out to Ben & Jerry’s as well as its parent company, Unilever, for comment but has not heard back yet.
This story will be updated when more information is available.
