Ben & Jerry’s another legal complaint against its parent company, the unilever giant, claimed that it sacked the CEO of Ben & Jerry after a confrontation on political issues.
In her last complaint, she filed late on Tuesday in a federal court in New York, Ben & Jerry claims that Unilever threatened employees who oppose her efforts to “silence the social mission.”
David Stevef was with Ben & Jerry for 34 years – as a tourist guide, CMO, then CEO. The brand ice cream in the US state of Vermont claimed that Stever had not been separated for the reasons for performance, but because it did not comply with Unilever standards about not talking about political issues.
Then the independent council was informed that Stever would be replaced as the CEO of Ben & Jerry on March 3, 2025.
This step hindered “the duties of the CEO, and intentionally undermined the social mission of Ben & Jerry and the brand’s integrity,” the file said.
Ben & Jerry added that Unilever’s control of its social mission had struck “new levels of persecution.”
The actors at Unilever and Ben & Jerry did not respond immediately luckComment requests.
A complex legal network
The brand of ice cream and its most older mother company have erupted and repeatedly on issues. Ben & Jerry was founded in 1978 with social reasons in her heart.
Even after she bought Unilever Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, it was not ashamed of the presence of progressive views that moved away from the position of her mother company. Speak Against genetically modified organisms Ingredients in ice cream and Black Lives Matter support, among other things.
The recent clashes started in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s said He will not sell Its products in the West Bank occupied by Israel. This led to the anger of customers from Unilever, who was accused of being anti -Semitism in allowing this step.
FTSE100, which has a sales of 61 billion euros in 2024 and operates in 190 countries, suddenly found itself in a stadium that runs “leading the purpose” from Ben and Jerry’s social and political.
After a year, Bin and Jerry A lawsuit against Unilever Since her mother company plans to sell Israeli operations to Ben & Jerry’s to a local license, allowing ice cream to continue to market it in the war -torn area. The lawsuit also said that Unilever’s move would take it out 2000 acquisitions, That left Ben & Jerry on its social mission. The consumer giant sold its Israeli arm, Ben & Jerry, in 2022, and Unilever and Bin & Jerry settled.
But friction did not end there. In 2024, Ben & Jerry filed a new lawsuit against Unilever, claiming “inappropriate” when she wanted support Palestinian refugees Amid the war in Gaza. The file said that Unilever threatened to dismantle Ben & Jerry’s board of directors and to prosecute individual members if Bin & Jerry called for a ceasefire.
Unilever unacceptable This claim, on the pretext that he “will defend our condition very strongly,” according to Bloomberg.
In January, Ben & Jerry Unilever accused Repression Issuing a social policy statement because he mentioned President Donald Trump. The claims related to the overthrow of the brand executive are the latest in a set of legal complaints.
This complex struggle is completely revealed Unilever announced Last month, it plans to overcome the entire ice cream, including Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s, through a triple menu.
It is said that the founders of Ben & Jerry are considering buying ice cream Brand returnBloomberg mentioned last month. But Unilever said he was “not for sale” and would be part of the ice cream entity that will be soon.
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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