The progressive ice cream company alleges that its parent company has close ties to President Donald Trump
Ice cream company, Ben & Jerry’s, has said its chief has been fired for social activism.
Newsweek sought email comment from Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever on Wednesday.Why It Matters
There has been ongoing tension between Ben & Jerry’s and its parent company, Unilever, about Ben & Jerry’s long tradition of progressive politics.
The issue plays into a wider narrative about whether smaller, independent companies can retain their values after they are purchased by a much larger corporation.What To Know
Ben & Jerry’s is branded as a company with close ties to progressive, hippy culture.
When launched by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in the late 1970s, the company had a rule that the top earning executives could only earn five times the lowest earning worker.
That moved to seven to one and 17 to one and was eventually abandoned when Unilever purchased the company in 2000.
As part of the merger agreement, Ben & Jerry’s was allowed to keep its hippy, alternative brand and identity.Breach Of Contract Lawsuit
Ben & Jerry’s has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Unilever in Manhattan, New York, claiming that Unilever is repeatedly silencing Ben & Jerry’s from issuing any statements seen as progressive, pro-Palestinian or anti-Trump.
On March 18, Ben & Jerry’s lawyers filed a proposed second amended complaint, in which it claims that Unilever fired Ben & Jerry’s chief executive, David Stever, in early March because Stever was trying to advance Ben & Jerry’s progressive “social mission.
