Page 3 – The Hershey Initiative: A Plan to Protect All Workers

 

🇺🇸 From My Story to a Movement

 

My name is Donnie Rakestraw, and I am the voice of The Hershey Initiative.

 

What happened to me at Hershey/Dot’s Pretzels should never happen to another American worker:

 

A manager refusing safety equipment that was sitting right there. Mandated by corporate safety videos. 

 

Documented neuropathy with doctors note to hr.

 

No injury report.

 

No treatment, even after a doctor’s note.

 

Millions poured into corporate lawyers — nothing for the injured worker.

 

This isn’t just my story. It’s a failure of the system meant to protect workers everywhere.

---

⚖️ What The Hershey Initiative Demands

 

The Hershey Initiative is about changing the law so no company can get away with what Hershey did. We call for:

 

Mandatory penalties for employers who refuse to file legally required injury reports.

 

Criminal accountability for managers who knowingly endanger workers or cover up injuries.

 

True compensation reform — so injured workers aren’t told they’re “5% disabled” while living with permanent pain and financial ruin.

 

Wage theft enforcement — no more unpaid dress-in, dress-out time.

 

Transparency — safety videos, policies, and corporate practices must be matched with enforcement, not just empty promises.

---

🔥 Why It Matters

 

The Hershey Initiative is bigger than me. It’s about:

 

Protecting every worker who’s ever been forced to stay silent.

 

Making sure no corporation can buy its way out of responsibility.

 

Ensuring the law finally protects people, not just Fortune 500 profits.

---

 

📢 My Commitment

 

I will keep telling my story. I will keep pushing until the Hershey Initiative becomes law.

 

Hershey wanted silence. Instead, they created a movement.

 

And to every worker out there — this fight is for you, too.