Chidsey should retract statements
Noelle Damico
Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Perspectives
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The P.C. (USA), which has been at the table for dialogues leading to those agreements, verifies that the CIW has never demanded that the increase be paid either through or to the CIW. And yet in his Oct. 3 address Mr. Chidsey remarked, "The union said the money has to go in the union coffers and 'we'll decide what's better for the workers.'"
Two weeks before Mr. Chidsey's lecture, the Stated Clerk of the P.C. (USA) General Assembly, Clifton Kirkpatrick, himself a Davidson graduate, wrote to Burger King demanding that the company retract similar comments made to the press, saying, "We are troubled that you have seen fit to try to damage the credibility and reputation of the CIW, an organization that has a proven record of integrity and good working relationships with other corporations." The P.C. (USA)'s call was augmented by statements supporting the CIW from the Carter Center and Yum! Brands itself. Since those demands for retraction, Burger King has claimed that no such demands were ever made. [Readers may find all statements at http://ciw-online.org/BK_response.html.]
Yet, despite that retraction, Mr. Chidsey persists in making false statements to defend his company's inaction. During his lecture, Mr. Chidsey indicated that Davidson's Honor Code shaped his own leadership decisions.
College literature explains, "Far from being mere pen-and-ink statements, the Codes are a declaration by the entire college community-students, faculty, staff and alumni-that the honorable course is the most just and therefore the best."
The honorable thing for Mr. Chidsey would be to immediately retract his harmful statement about the CIW and begin respectful dialogue toward a just agreement with the farm workers. The farm workers, as well as the Davidson community, deserve nothing less.
Two weeks before Mr. Chidsey's lecture, the Stated Clerk of the P.C. (USA) General Assembly, Clifton Kirkpatrick, himself a Davidson graduate, wrote to Burger King demanding that the company retract similar comments made to the press, saying, "We are troubled that you have seen fit to try to damage the credibility and reputation of the CIW, an organization that has a proven record of integrity and good working relationships with other corporations." The P.C. (USA)'s call was augmented by statements supporting the CIW from the Carter Center and Yum! Brands itself. Since those demands for retraction, Burger King has claimed that no such demands were ever made. [Readers may find all statements at http://ciw-online.org/BK_response.html.]
Yet, despite that retraction, Mr. Chidsey persists in making false statements to defend his company's inaction. During his lecture, Mr. Chidsey indicated that Davidson's Honor Code shaped his own leadership decisions.
College literature explains, "Far from being mere pen-and-ink statements, the Codes are a declaration by the entire college community-students, faculty, staff and alumni-that the honorable course is the most just and therefore the best."
The honorable thing for Mr. Chidsey would be to immediately retract his harmful statement about the CIW and begin respectful dialogue toward a just agreement with the farm workers. The farm workers, as well as the Davidson community, deserve nothing less.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
marc
posted 11/16/07 @ 2:07 PM EST
Thanks for running this piece. Chidsey should certainly retract and Burger King should come to the table immediately.
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