‘Boycott Chapman’s’: Why anti-vaccine groups are taking aim at ice cream
Global News
Self-described anti-vaccine groups are calling for a boycott of Chapman's ice cream after the company offered a pay rise to staff vaccinated against COVID-19.
Self-described anti-vaccine groups are calling for a boycott of a family-run Canadian ice cream company after it offered a pay rise to staff vaccinated against COVID-19.
Management at Chapman’s, Canada’s largest independent ice-cream manufacturer, say they’re trying to reward staff who have “done the right thing” by getting vaccinated with a $1 per hour pay rise, rather than enforcing a hardline vaccine policy.
But the move prompted a revolt within its own workforce, with several unvaccinated staff sending the news to prominent Canadian anti-vaccine groups and issuing a call to boycott the company online.
“It is really disappointing,” vice-president Ashley Chapman says.
“They’ve told us we are violating the Geneva Convention and treating them as second class citizens, which is exactly what we were trying not to do.”
Mandatory vaccine policies for workplaces and public venues began rolling out across the country in August. Since then, the federal government, hospitals, banks, insurers, school boards, police and some provincial administrations across Canada have implemented similar policies for current and future hires.
When Chapman’s introduced a vaccine disclosure policy in early November, about 100 of its 850 employees had yet to receive one or both of their doses, Chapman said.
As a result, Chapman’s decided to impose a twice-weekly rapid testing rule for its unvaccinated cohort, which the company offered to pay for. Unvaccinated staff would also have to wear a plastic face shield at all times.
