The Ben & Jerry's Union Has Just Reached A Landmark Agreement With The Company. Here's What We Know

While Ben & Jerry's had humble beginnings in a renovated gas station, the iconic food company scoops more than just frozen treats. Its long-standing purpose to make the world a better place is more than environmental advocacy or spreading smiles with desserts. The company chooses to stand tall on certain principles, regardless of popularity, a sound business policy, or ease.

In an April announcement, Ben & Jerry's supported Scoopers United and its goal of unionizing workers at the company's flagship store in Vermont. Specifically, the brand said that it supports the rights of workers to unionize and believes in a "fair, inclusive, and equitable" workplace (via the Associated Press). The agreement sets rules for an equitable election amongst eligible employees at the Burlington location. In addition, the company will help foster a positive negotiation environment. Although the process will take time, Rebeka Mendelsohn, who led the unionizing effort, believes that the decision is a positive one. She hopes that it is the first step to wage improvements, working condition changes, and other items workers' benefits.

While there is an assumption that this first step could trickle down to other corporate scoop locations, it's likely a long road ahead. More importantly, the Ben & Jerry's decision to work with a worker's union could set an example within the quick-service restaurant industry. It seems that unionization efforts are gaining strength, and Ben & Jerry's just took a big step towards bridging the divide between the two warring factions.

While Scoopers United earned a positive endorsement from Ben & Jerry's ahead of the union negotiations, the single pint of worker reform might be sitting lonely for a while. Although Bernie Sanders praised Ben & Jerry's willingness to negotiate in good faith with its workers, other unionization efforts are still in the deep-freeze mode. Even in a worker-friendly state like Vermont, the efforts might be growing, but the changes won't be implemented immediately.

As Restaurant Dive reports, Rebekah Mendelsohn, the organizer behind Scoopers United, believes worker solidarity helped influence Ben & Jerry's willingness to embrace the activism. From wanting better wages to safe working conditions, the group of around 40 people worked together toward a common goal. (Whether or not the preemptive announcement was altruistic or a smart business decision remains to be seen.)

The ice cream brand might be the first, but it appears that other companies are taking a wait-and-see approach to the unionization efforts within their organizations. Mendelsohn hopes that the Scoopers United efforts will set an example for other ongoing unionization efforts, including those at Starbucks, Trader Joe's, and others. For now, Scoopers United is ready to unpack a list of wants during the negotiations with Ben & Jerry's. Only time will tell if the ice cream workers' efforts will sweeten the unionization experience for other workers fighting for the cause.