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Thursday, March 17, 2011

Protesters disrupt speech by Sunoco CEO

Protesters interrupted a speech being given by Sunoco Inc. chairman and chief executive Lynn L. Elsenhans at a luncheon at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Thursday afternoon.

The head of the Philadelphia oil refiner and marketer was being honored by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce with its Paradigm Award, given to a businesswoman whose accomplishments are seen as a model of success.

As Elsenhans began her speech, several protesters who'd been seated in the ballroom stood and walked toward the podium, carrying a sign, as another addressed the audience of about 750 people by asking, "Does anyone see a leader here?"

Elsenhans remained silent as the protesters, who later identified themselves as being with the community group Philadelphia Jobs With Justice, were escorted from the ballroom.

When she resumed, her remarks about the need for women in the workplace to identify mentors, take risks, persevere and give back to others. Her speech was interrupted several more times as individual protesters stood and talking to the crowd about layoffs at Sunoco conducted during Elsenhans tenure and other issues.

After the event, Elsenhans declined to comment through a company spokesman, Thomas Golembeski. One of only 15 women to run a Fortune 500 company, Elsenhans rarely gives speeches. Golembeski said Elsenhans was honored to be chosen by the chamber to receive its 19th annual Paradigm Award, noting that she is a role model for others.

Immediately following her speech, chamber President Rob Wonderling told the audience: "We believe in free enterprise. We believe in free speech when exercised with civility. In our 2011 Paradigm Award winner, you saw civility in action."
Posted by Mike Armstrong @ 2:59 PM  Permalink | File Under: Energy, Utilities | | Management, workplace | 9 comments
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:47 PM, 03/17/2011
    No one knew who they were and no one could hear their message. Typical, ineffective rudeness.
    — JW
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:00 PM, 03/17/2011
    Look at their web site (which the left wing Inquirer dutifully hyperlinks to in their name, but the Chamber's name doesn't link to their site). They are a front organization of all the union goons of Philly. They hate "evil corporations", but cry about getting (or not getting) jobs with those corporations.
    — fafafooey
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:32 PM, 03/17/2011
    no hate from fafooey...
    — M60tanker
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:49 PM, 03/17/2011
    @fafafooey: the Chamber's Paradigm award is hyperlinked as is Sunoco. And Jobs for Justice isn't much of a "front" organization if they list all member groups on their website. Other than that, your post is really impressive.
    — NotADoneDeal
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:16 PM, 03/17/2011
    I don't know where "fafafooey" gets the idea that Philly Jobs with Justice activists cry about not getting jobs with corporations of whose conduct they disapprove. And the action today was not about "evil corporations", but about the blindness of the Chamber of Commerce in giving a prestigious award to a "woman leader" who has injured, repeatedly and in various ways, working families and communities in Philadelphia. And were you there? Did any of the protesters in any way look like "goons"? Considering there were three men, all under the age of 25, and nine young women, I failed to see any union goons.
    — sticksinthehead
  • 1 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:15 PM, 03/17/2011
    Yes, no goons. Just snot nose kids who have no clue about work or running a business in Philly or any other place. Please, spare the theatrics about injuring working families in Philly. This place is one of the most unproductive union towns around. Sorry, but Asia and even the rest of the USA works harder than this town.
    — JW
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:19 PM, 03/17/2011
    Sunoco has the #3 worst safety record in the country. How is that make her "accomplishments a model of success"? Tell that to the people who are literally burned so severely they'll never work again. I think it's great that young people are standing up for the rights of working people. What is so terrible about wanting people to be safe in the workplace? And if young people are stepping up and trying to make the world a bit safer for us? Then I have to thank them.
    — phr
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:59 AM, 03/23/2011
    The Chamber of Commerce's president asked for a backlash when he chose to give Lynn this award. With so many fine companies in the Delaware Valley to choose from they chose to give an award to one of if not the worst. Their safety record is awful. They have lawsuits pending against them for needlessly injuring workers. They have awaked people sleeping in their homes in South Philadelphia by releasing odors from their Hydrofluoric Acid unit. Lynn managed to run an oil company that actually lost money-tough to do. Their pension plan is underfunded. They want to outsource their office jobs to India. They puuled out their funding for the Welcome America program in Philadelphia.
    Wow Rob Wonderling-I wonder how you would even consider giving her this award. You sound as out of touch with reality as Lynn and her management team are. Gee Rob all you had to do is do a little research.
    Philadelphians are tough to bull****. Lynn and Rob are full of it.
    — caprock


9 comments
About Mike Armstrong
Mike Armstrong, a business editor and writer for nearly two decades, is the Inquirer's business columnist and PhillyInc blog editor. Contact Mike via e-mail or at 215-854-2980
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