Murphy, Blumenthal, Courtney, DeLauro Demand Corrective Action From i-Health Amid Reports Of Retaliation & Unsafe Working Conditions

HARTFORD-U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), sent a letter to the CEO of DSM-Firmenich, parent company of i-Health, following reports of unsafe working conditions and retaliation against workers at the i-Health warehouse in Enfield, Connecticut. In March 2024, employees at the Enfield warehouse exercised their legally protected right to organize and voted to form a union with Teamsters Local 671.

"Instead of upholding the rights of these employees and honoring your public commitments to their wellbeing, workers allege that DSM-Firmenich has responded with actions that are retaliatory and coercive in nature," the members wrote.

Following the unionization of the warehouse workers, workers allege the company engaged in retaliatory and coercive activity like enforcing twelve-hour workdays and six-day workweeks, forced holiday shifts, pressure tactics, refusal to hire adequate workers, and disregard for safety concerns and injury reports. This led to at least one worker experiencing a serious shoulder injury due to mandatory overtime. The company also fired eleven full-time and one temporary employee via text message.

"To be clear - firing or otherwise retaliating against workers engaging in lawful, protected strike activity is not just unethical but is also a potential violation of U.S. labor law. American workers have long had fundamental labor rights guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act in order to protect them from unjust situations as this one," the members continued. "Denying your workers a voice, subjecting them to exhausting and unreasonable schedules, and attempting to counteract their unionization efforts through coercion and retaliation is a gross violation of these rights."

The members demanded that DSM-Firmenich and i-Health begin immediate corrective actions by reinstating all employees who were wrongfully terminated, ending all coercive and retaliatory practices targeting union members, bargaining in good faith with Teamsters Local 671 on a fair contract, and ensuring full compliance with U.S. labor laws and the company's own Code of Business Ethics to ensure a safe, secure, and fair workplace environment.

"The workers in Enfield process and distribute DSM-Firmenich products to some of the largest retailers in the country. They are invaluable contributors to your global operations and supply chain and deserve to be treated as such - not as expendable labor subject to the whims of your company. We ask that you show leadership and accountability by addressing this situation expediently and with the best interests of your employees in mind," the members concluded.

Full text of the letter is available below.

Dear Mr. de Vreeze,

We write to express our deep concern with DSM-Firmenich's treatment of workers at its i-Health warehouse in Enfield, Connecticut. The actions taken by your management team in response to lawful union activity may be both illegal under U.S. labor law and contradictory to the core principles laid out in DSM-Firmenich's Code of Business Ethics.

In March 2024, employees at the Enfield warehouse exercised their legally protected right to organize and voted for form a union with Teamsters Local 671 - a vote that was certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Instead of upholding the rights of these employees and honoring your public commitments to their wellbeing, workers allege that DSM-Firmenich has responded with actions that are retaliatory and coercive in nature. Reports from both workers and their union representatives detail the following:

• Unilateral imposition of twelve-hour workdays and mandatory six-day workweeks;
• Elimination of scheduling flexibility and forced holiday shifts;
• Surveillance of workers and other pressure tactics designed to discourage union activity;
• Refusal to hire adequate temporary workers, leaving a skeleton crew to handle warehouse operations at an extreme pace and volume;
• Unlawful retaliation against striking workers by firing eleven full-time and one temporary employee via text message;
• Blatant disregard for safety concerns and injury reports, leading to at least one worker experiencing a serious shoulder injury due to excessive mandatory overtime; and
• Attempts to discredit and intimidate striking workers by labeling their peaceful picketing as "illegal and dangerous," despite no evidence of wrongdoing.

If true, these practices reflect an unacceptable abuse of employer power. They run counter to the principles that DSM-Firmenich claims to stand for - indeed, your Code of Business Ethics pledges to protect human rights and promote decent work in your global supply chains, ensure the safety, health, and security of your employees, and respect fundamental labor rights including the freedom to organize and collectively bargain. And yet in Connecticut, the aforementioned patterns of behavior represent an unambiguous failure to honor these commitments.

To be clear - firing or otherwise retaliating against workers engaging in lawful, protected strike activity is not just unethical but is also a potential violation of U.S. labor law. American workers have long had fundamental labor rights guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act in order to protect them from unjust situations as this one. Denying your workers a voice, subjecting them to exhausting and unreasonable schedules, and attempting to counteract their unionization efforts through coercion and retaliation is a gross violation of these rights.

Teamsters Local 671 has already filed a complaint with the NLRB pursuant to the protections afforded to them by law. We hope that DSM-Firmenich and i-Health can rectify the above grievances and return to bargaining in good faith with your employees before appropriate legal action is needed. That is why we strongly urge you to review the actions your company has taken against the Connecticut workers at i-Health and begin immediate corrective action in the following areas:

• Reinstate all employees who were wrongfully terminated;
• End all coercive and retaliatory practices targeting union members;
• Bargain in good faith with Teamsters Local 671 on a fair contract; and
• Ensure full compliance with U.S. labor laws and your own Code of Business Ethics to ensure a safe, secure, and fair workplace environment.

The workers in Enfield process and distribute DSM-Firmenich products to some of the largest retailers in the country. They are invaluable contributors to your global operations and supply chain and deserve to be treated as such - not as expendable labor subject to the whims of your company. We ask that you show leadership and accountability by addressing this situation expediently and with the best interests of your employees in mind.

Sincerely,

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