Carl Icahn is expanding his animal-welfare campaign to Kroger

Carl Icahn is expanding his animal-welfare campaign to the nation’s greatest grocery store chain, Kroger, following the famed activist investor originally specific McDonald’s.

Icahn has submitted a program to nominate two candidates to Kroger’s board, the Cincinnati-based mostly corporation claimed in a release Tuesday.

Kroger claimed it 1st heard from Icahn on Friday. The grocer claimed that through the discussion, the billionaire investor “voiced his worries concerning animal welfare and the use of gestation crates in pork manufacturing.”

In a letter to Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen, Icahn also took goal at what he named the “egregious wage gaps” involving McMullen and other staff members at the firm.

“The wage gap amongst the CEO and median worker at Kroger is unconscionable,” Icahn wrote in the letter, which was acquired by CNBC. “Our candidates will consider our worries about deplorable animal struggling and these wage gaps (and other governance problems) at Kroger critically and insert good oversight.”

Kroger’s announcement Tuesday comes a tiny extra than a thirty day period following Icahn introduced a proxy combat with McDonald’s focused on the cure of pigs. In an interview previous Tuesday, Icahn addressed his involvement with the rapidly-food big.

“I am not carrying out that to make funds,” Icahn advised CNBC’s Scott Wapner on “Closing Bell: Time beyond regulation.”

As an alternative, Icahn explained his attempts as a response to his feelings on animal rights. “Emotionally, when you browse about what they do to these animals, the avoidable torture and cruelty, it actually bothers me. When I can do some thing about it, I consider,” Icahn claimed.

Kroger reported it will review Icahn’s proposed board nominees, Alexis C. Fox and Margarita Palau-Hernandez, as portion of its common governance guidelines. The corporation also addressed Icahn’s troubles with animal treatment.

“Although Kroger is not directly concerned in increasing or the processing of any animals, we are dedicated to supporting protect the welfare of animals in our provide chain,” the press launch claimed. “Kroger has an established Liable Sourcing Framework to evidently outline our policies, needs and practices, including our Animal Welfare Coverage, which articulates our expectation that all suppliers will have transitioned absent from gestation crates by 2025.”

McDonald’s also has defended its animal rights policies in the experience of Icahn’s marketing campaign. The firm explained last month that by 12 months-conclude, it expects concerning 85% and 90% of its U.S. pork volumes will be sourced from sows who do not live in gestation crates through their pregnancy. McDonald’s explained it expects that percentage to raise to 100% by the conclude of 2024.

Icahn’s stake in Kroger is small, as is his placement in McDonald’s. Icahn told Kroger he owns 100 shares of the organization, according to a human being common with the matter. The grocer has about 746.8 million totally diluted shares superb, according to FactSet.

Kroger shares closed down 1% Tuesday at $56.39. The stock has attained about 25% 12 months to day, bringing its market place value to $41.46 billion.

In his letter to McMullen, Icahn said his purpose was not to gain from this proxy marketing campaign, but to make a difference in the “obvious injustices” at Kroger. Icahn criticized the firm’s board for what he called a lack of oversight on provide chain procedures and payment. McMullen is chair of the board, in addition to serving as CEO given that 2014.

Icahn, exclusively blasted McMullen’s payment boost in 2020, although noting the corporation eradicated a $2 for every-hour raise for retail outlet and warehouse staff it presented for a couple months through the early days of the Covid pandemic.

“What has transpired at Kroger with the concerns of animal welfare and staff wages is an affront to the primary fibers of our society — that of decency and dignity,” Icahn wrote. “Your Board of Directors has designed an unneeded problem, placing your enterprise at chance, by rubber stamping unethical insurance policies as perfectly as breaking claims they manufactured to frontline staff during the pandemic.”

Kroger defended its employee payment document. A spokesperson instructed CNBC the grocer has “been investing a lot more than ever ahead of in wages,” both equally prior to the Covid pandemic and through it.

“Kroger invested an incremental $1.2 billion in associate wages and training about the final four decades,” the spokesperson claimed. “This has amplified our nationwide regular hourly price of fork out from $13.66 to nearly $17, reflecting an raise of additional than $3 per hour, or a 25% enhance. When rewards like well being care and pensions are factored in, our typical hourly price is now more than $22.”

— CNBC’s Scott Wapner contributed to this report.