1972
Disturbed by sexualized uniforms and ad campaigns, flight attendants created a protest group called Stewardesses for Women’s Rights (SFWR) and argued that their employers’ practices impeded their roles as safety officers. Their high-profile activism eventually helped end this demeaning marketing.
1985
Though Hormel meat packers in Austin, Minnesota, initially went on strike over 23% wage cuts, the effort quickly became a broader critique of the coziness between national unions and management and cities that grant employer concessions to secure new jobs. The effort failed, and Hormel hired new workers at lower wages.
1995
Jeffrey Wigand, former head of R&D for the third-largest tobacco company, broke an NDA to help expose how Big Tobacco misled the public about its products’ addictive properties and ignored research about cancer-causing ingredients. His advocacy helped lead to the $246 billion settlement against the industry.
2014
Employees of the $4.6 billion grocery chain Market Basket revolted when the company replaced CEO Arthur T. Demoulas, known for putting employees and customers first, in favor of more shareholder-friendly leadership. Workers enlisted customer support to shut down stores, which led to the return of Demoulas.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
