Ben & Jerry’s is accusing its parent company Unilever of breaching its merger agreement by ousting the ice cream company’s CEO for the brand’s repeated public comments on progressive issues, removing its chief executive without the board’s approval. It’s the latest escalation of an increasingly ugly dispute between the brand and its conglomerate owner that began in 2021. In an amended complaint filed Tuesday in New York, lawyers for the ice cream brand said that rules stemming from its 2000 merger “protects Ben & Jerry’s interests by precluding the unilateral removal of its CEO,” but Unilever did just that — “removing and replacing” CEO David Stever by not following the proper protocols and said it was because of the brand’s continued comments on progressive issues. The lawsuit said that Unilever’s motive for the removal of Stever was due to his “commitment to Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission and Essential Brand Integrity … rather than any genuine concerns regarding his performance history.” Unilever (UL) didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. The UK company announced in March 2024 it was looking to sell Ben & Jerry’s and its other ice cream brands but it has not yet completed a deal. Tuesday’s complaint is the latest in a string of them against Unilever for attempting to silence the ice cream brand on social media. In January, the company alleged that Unilever “unilaterally barred” a post referencing abortion, climate change and universal healthcare because it mentioned President Donald Trump.
via cnn: Ben & Jerry’s says its CEO was fired for the company’s political posts
siehe auch: Ben & Jerry’s boss ‘ousted over political activism’. Ice cream maker alleges the move is part of efforts by its parent company to silence its activism Ben & Jerry’s has said its chief executive, David Stever, was being removed by its parent company, Unilever, in a growing dispute over the ice cream company’s political activism. The allegation was part of a legal case filed in a US court by Ben & Jerry’s that says Unilever violated a merger agreement by trying to silence its “social mission”. Unilever did not immediately reply to a request for comment from BBC News. It comes a month after the ice cream company accused Unilever of demanding that it stops publicly criticising US President Donald Trump. “Unilever has repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission,” the filing with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said. Ben & Jerry’s has long been known for taking a public stance on social issues since it was founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. It has often backed campaigns on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and climate change. The ice cream maker was bought by Unilever in 2000 through a merger agreement that created an independent board tasked with protecting the ice cream brand’s values and mission. But Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have been at loggerheads for a while. Their relationship soured in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it was halting sales in the West Bank. The dispute escalated over the last year as Ben & Jerry’s advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza.
By Anton Porsche – Own work, CC BY 4.0, Link