Remarks made by Workers Circle CEO Ann Toback from the Wendy’s Boycott Rally

May 12, 2022

I’m Ann Toback, CEO of the Workers Circle, a proudly progressive community of more than 25,000 activists across the country. All of us rooted in Jewish culture and social justice for more than a century.

The Fair Food Program is the only proven solution to end worker exploitation, modern slavery, and sexual assault in the farming fields.

For more than a decade we have been calling on Wendy’s to join the Fair Food Program.

Nelson Peltz, Chairman of Wendy’s and CEO of Trian Partners, Wendy’s largest institutional shareholder, has evaded, fought and disparaged this internationally recognized human rights program.

Nelson, in short, has said, NO to corporate accountability.

And so, we have come to say NO to Nelson.

Our Jewish tradition—yours, Nelson, and mine--teaches that we must not stand idly by when we see injustice, when we see harm. We must take action.

Nelson, if you put half the effort into supporting the Fair Food Program that you put into avoiding it for the last 10 years, thousands of farmworkers would be working in dignity right now.

And so, Nelson, we the consumers are here not standing idly by. We are saying no to your brutal approach to corporate responsibility that leaves farmworkers exploited without rights or recourse.

We are saying no to your refusal to answer basic questions on human rights abuses in Wendy’s supply chain.

And now we say no to you, Nelson, as Wendy’s chairman.

Nelson, Wendy’s annual meeting is less than a week away. The clock is ticking.

The time to abandon your immoral and irresponsible refusal to bring Wendy’s into the Fair Food Program is now.