Ben & Jerry’s has sued its parent company Unilever accusing it of silencing the ice cream maker from making statements in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war.
The complaint, filed Wednesday in federal court in New York, says the multinational conglomerate has failed to adhere to its contractural obligations with Ben & Jerry's by threatening to dismantle the company's independent board, sue board members, intimidate personnel and censor the company “from publicly voicing support for peace and refugee rights,” the lawsuit states.
London-based Unilever said in a statement that it rejects the claims made by Ben & Jerry’s social mission board. “We will defend our case very strongly,” it said.
Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s, a longtime supporter of progressive social causes, in 2000 but distanced itself from the ice cream maker’s decision in 2021 to halt sales in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem.
When Ben & Jerry’s was sold, the companies agreed that the ice cream maker’s independent board would be free to pursue its social mission, including longstanding support for liberal causes on such things as racial justice, climate action, LGBTQ rights and campaign finance reform. But Unilever would have the final word on financial and operational decisions.
Unilever then announced in July 2022 that it was selling its interest in the Vermont ice cream maker to its Israeli licensee, which would market Ben & Jerry’s products with Hebrew and Arabic labels in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Ben & Jerry’s tried to block the plan in court but failed.
After months of negotiations, Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever entered into a settlement agreement, in which Unilever must respect the board's responsibility over the ice cream maker's social mission and brand integrity, and “work in good faith with the Independent Board to ensure that both are protected and furthered," the lawsuit states.
Ben & Jerry's has been muzzled by Unilever in four attempts to speak out publicly against the war in Gaza with calls “for peace and a permanent and immediate ceasefire,” support for U.S. college students protesting the war and for the end of U.S. military aid to Israel, the lawsuit states.
“Unilever has repeatedly failed to recognize and respect the Independent Board’s primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission and Brand Integrity, including threatening Ben & Jerry’s personnel should the company speak regarding issues which Unilever prefers to censor,” the ice cream maker said in the lawsuit. “The Independent Board initiates this litigation to protect Ben & Jerry’s three-part mission from Unilever’s unilateral erosion and to safeguard the company from Unilever’s repeated overreaches.”
In March, Unilever announced that it was cutting 7,500 jobs and spinning off its ice cream business to reduce costs and boost profits.
FILE - Two patrons enter the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream shop, July 20, 2021, in Burlington, Vt. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hundreds of hotel workers at a casino near the Las Vegas Strip went on strike just before dawn Friday after a long and highly publicized fight for a new contract.
The strike at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas marks the first open-ended strike in 22 years for the Culinary Workers Union, the largest labor union in Nevada, with about 60,000 members.
The union posted on the social platform X on Friday morning: “@VirginHotelsLV casino is ON STRIKE! Virgin hotel workers are walking out RIGHT NOW at Virgin Las Vegas for a fair contract! Stand with the workers, DO NOT CROSS THE STRIKE LINE!”
"24/7 picket lines around the property” would be in place during the strike, the union said in a news release, urging customers to cancel reservations or check out and choose a union accommodation.
The company’s proposal worked out to an estimated $0.30 per year to wages over five years after deducting money for benefits, Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said in the news release.
“The Virgin Las Vegas’ proposal is miles apart and is an insult to every worker — which is why the committee voted unanimously to refuse to settle for a second-class contract,” Pappageorge said. “Workers at Virgin Las Vegas deserve a first-class contract with fair wage increases, and they are organized and ready to strike for it.”
Workers at the casino also walked off the job for 48 hours earlier this year as negotiations escalated, hoping to pressure Virgin Hotels to agree to a new five-year deal with increased wages and better benefits.
Housekeepers, cocktail and food servers, porters and bellhops were among those on the picket line Friday outside the hotel-casino, which was formerly the Hard Rock Las Vegas.
It comes exactly a year after casinos up and down the Strip narrowly avoided tens of thousands of hospitality workers walking off the job on the weekend the city was set to host its first Formula One race on the famous boulevard. But agreements were reached just before the union's deadline for a strike, giving workers a roughly 32% salary increase over the life of the contract, including a 10% bump in pay in the first year.
After the breakthrough deals last November, the Culinary Union quickly reached similar agreements for the rest of its members at major hotel-casinos on the Strip, downtown and at off-Strip properties — with the exception of Virgin Hotels. The contracts on the Strip alone cover more than 40,000 workers.
Bethany Khan, a spokesperson for the union, said Virgin Hotels is the “final holdout.” The union's contract covering about 700 employees there expired last June.
The union says Virgin Hotels does not want to give its workers any wage increases during the first three years of a new five-year contract.
“We are worth more than zero wage increases,” Merla Paramo, a casino porter, said in a statement provided by the union.
Virgin Hotels said Thursday in a statement that it agreed to some wage increases before the fourth year of a new contract, but the union declined the proposal. Virgin Hotels did not provide specifics on its proposal.
“Our dedication to our team members’ well-being and achieving sustainable performance at our property remains steadfast, and we are fully committed to finding a fair resolution that is in their best interest,” the statement reads.
While Friday's walkout is far smaller in scale than the strikes planned for last year on the Strip, disruptions are still likely because of Virgin Hotels' location. The 1,500-room property is just off the Strip and along a common route to the tourist corridor from the city's international airport.
The hotel-casino sits on a recognizable lot where an 80-foot (24-meter) neon guitar sign stood for decades. It was removed in 2017 after the Hard Rock closed.
Culinary Union members last went on strike in 2002 for 10 days at the Golden Gate hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas.
Members of the Culinary Workers Union picket in front of the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Members of the Culinary Workers Union picket in front of the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Members of the Culinary Workers Union picket in front of the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
FILE - Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is illuminated on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, File)
