BCTGM: Justice for Wendy's Bakers!

Wendy’s/Arby’s Destroys the Dave Thomas Legacy and Exemplifies Corporate Greed

January 13, 2010

For the Kimble family, the changes to the workers’ health care benefits have caused extreme hardship – both emotional and financial.

In a heartfelt letter to Wendy’s/Arby’s Group President & CEO Roland Smith, Local 57 member Roy Kimble – who has worked at the Wendy’s Bakery for 25 years— explained how the company’s extreme anti-worker stance in contract negotiations has effected him personally.

In 2005, Kimble and his wife adopted Jack. Jack was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, has Downs Syndrome, Autism, and is legally blind. While Jack’s medical conditions have improved slightly since he came to live as a foster child with the Kimble’s in 2004, he requires various medications and constant medical attention. With the cuts to the worker’s health care benefits, this has added financial troubles to the Kimble family as well as the stress of coping with the medical requirements of a special needs child.

Kimble explains that while he was planning to retire and begin a new career helping children, this is no longer possible with the proposed changes to the worker’s pension benefits. Not only will he have to “work until I die”, Kimble says his home will have to be sold in order for the family to afford the medical expenses for his family.

“With you making over $5 million a year, you cannot understand what devastation this will have on my family and the other families involved. I ask you to consider the children that this will impact. Taking away from working families to line the pockets of the rich is wrong. I ask you to take the road less traveled and do the right thing – let us keep what we have and help preserve the middle class of America.”

The Kimble’s, who have four other children, have spent most of their adult lives helping children. The adoption of Jack, even with his severe medical condition, came naturally and lovingly. And while the road has been difficult, the power of love and dedication has seen them through. In a sad irony, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption was established to help families like the Kimble’s.

Created by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, who was adopted as a child, the Foundation “implements results-driven national signature programs, foster care adoption awareness initiatives and research-based advocacy efforts. As the only foundation dedicated exclusively to foster care adoption, we are driven by Dave's simple value: Do what's best for the child.”

Additionally, the Foundation promotes an “adoption friendly workplace.” According to the Dave Thomas Foundation website, “The Adoption-Friendly Workplace is a signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption that encourages employers to offer adoption benefits and celebrates those who do.”

Wendy’s/Arby’s Group does not believe in helping families nor does it “do what’s best for the child.” The last offer made by the company eliminates the workers’ pension, guts their healthcare coverage and takes away many of their rights. Negotiators for Wendy’s/Arby’s Group have demanded concessions that would render the union contract virtually meaningless. Those concessions include the elimination of a decent health care coverage plan, replacing it with a substandard plan that is unacceptable. The company also is demanding the elimination of the defined benefit pension plan which, if imposed, would destroy the security of Roy Kimble and other New Bakery workers in their retirement.

So why has the greed of the new management of the Wendy’s/Arby’s Group destroyed this family-friendly philosophy? For three decades Local 57 members at the Wendy’s bakeries flourished with good pay, health care benefits and pensions. The actions of the current company destroy the Dave Thomas legacy.

Click here to read Roy Kimble’s letter and CEO Smith’s response

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