Protest REI's ties to Sweatshop Labor!

STOP SWEATSHOP EXPLOITATION: TELL REI IT SHOULD
> > PAY THE WORKERS WHO SEWED
> > THEIR LABELS! (action alert provided by Asian Law
> > Caucus)
> >
> > Over two-years after sewing garments which
> included
> > cycling shorts and other
> > athletic gear with the REI label, over twenty
> > garment workers‹all
> > monolingual Chinese immigrant women‹have still not
> > been paid for their hard
> > work. REI prides itself on being a socially
> > responsible company, yet it
> > will not agree to pay these women¹s unpaid wages
> or
> > give up the name of the
> > contractor it hired!
> >
> > Under California¹s joint liability law, often
> > referred to as AB 633, garment
> > workers can collect unpaid wages from the
> > manufacturers that contracted with
> > their employer. In February 2004, pursuant to
> this
> > law and through a
> > settlement negotiated by the Asian Law Caucus,
> > twenty garment workers
> > employed by a GNT, Inc. collected a portion of the
> > wages they were owed from
> > such high profile labels as Jessica McClintock,
> > Biscotti, and
> > Bellwether/Profile Design, who contracted directly
> > with GNT for the
> > production of its garments.
> >
> > Although the workers clearly remember sewing REI¹s
> > distinctive label, REI
> > refuses to pay any portion of the workers¹ unpaid
> > wages. Because REI did
> > not contract directly with GNT, REI is not legally
> > liable for the workers¹
> > unpaid wages. However, REI not only refuses to
> > offer any compensation to
> > the workers who sewed its labels, REI also refuses
> > to give up the name of
> > the contractor it contracted with. Without the
> name
> > of REI¹s contractor,
> > the workers are unable to collect over $27,000 in
> > unpaid wages.
> >
> > You can help the workers claim their unpaid wages
> by
> > taking action!
> >
> > … You can write a letter to CEO Dennis Madsen,
> > urging REI to compensate the
> > workers and to give up the name of its contractor
> > that contracted with GNT,
> > and tell your friends and family to write letters,
> > too! If you are a member
> > of REI¹s cooperative, be sure to mention that in
> > your letter and demand that
> > REI live up to its reputation as a socially
> > responsible company. A sample
> > letter is attached. A suggested letter is below.
> >
> > … You can attend a press conference and rally to
> > learn more about this case
> > and to support the garment workers who have still
> > not been paid the wages
> > they are due. The press conference and rally will
> > take place on Wednesday,
> > May 12, 2004, 11:00am at REI¹s newest store at 840
> > Brannan Street in San
> > Francisco.
> >
> > Please send copies of your letters to The
> Employment
> > & Labor Project, Asian
> > Law Caucus, 939 Market Street, Suite 201, San
> > Francisco, California 94103.
> >
> > For additional information, please contact Grace
> > Meng at the Asian Law
> > Caucus, (415) 896-1701 extension 110, or Wing-yee
> > Chow at the Chinese
> > Progressive Association, (415) 391-6986 extension
> > 303.
> >
> > SUGGESTED LETTER
> >
> > [DATE]
> >
> > Dennis Madsen, President & CEO
> > REI, Inc.
> > 6524 South 228 Street
> > Kent, WA 98032
> >
> > Dear Mr. Madsen:
> >
> > As a socially responsible consumer and customer of
> > REI [IF YOU ARE A
> > SHAREHOLDER/MEMBER OF REI, BE SURE TO STATE IT IN
> > YOUR LETTER!], I am
> > writing to express my concern about the company¹s
> > involvement with a
> > sweatshop in San Francisco, California.
> >
> > Through a subcontracting arrangement, GNT, Inc., a
> > San Francisco garment
> > factory that employed approximately forty workers,
> > produced REI garments
> > during the period from 2001-2002. On April 13,
> > 2002, GNT abruptly closed
> > its doors, leaving over forty monolingual, Chinese
> > immigrant garment workers
> > with up to six months of unpaid wages, overtime
> and
> > minimum wage violations,
> > and bounced check penalties totaling over
> $350,000.
> > Although these workers
> > were able to receive some of their unpaid wages
> from
> > manufacturers
> > contracting directly with GNT, they are still owed
> > over $27,000 in unpaid
> > wages.
> >
> > Although REI claims that it did not contract
> > directly with GNT, it is
> > indisputable that these workers sewed REI clothing
>
> > the workers have the
> > labels to prove it. REI not only refuses to give
> up
> > the names of its
> > contractors, it claims that its monitoring system
> is
> > so strict none of its
> > contractors could have subcontracted to GNT.
> > However, REI¹s monitoring
> > system has clearly failed in this instance, and
> REI
> > should do its part to
> > compensate the workers for their unpaid wages.
> >
> > It is no secret that the profits of the garment
> > industry are made off the
> > backs of workers suffering in sweatshops around
> the
> > country. I urge you to
> > uphold REI¹s reputation as a company with a strong
> > sense of social
> > responsibility by paying the workers $27,036.48 in
> > unpaid wages and helping
> > the Asian Law Caucus identify the contractor that
> > outsourced to GNT.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > [YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS]
> >
> > cc: Joannie C. Chang, Esq.
> > Asian Law Caucus
> > 939 Market Street, Suite 201
> > San Francisco, CA 94103
> >
> > -------
> >
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> education,
> > and action center
> > working for political, economic, environmental,
> and
> > social justice on a
> > global scale. We work to increase international
> > awareness among the U.S.
> > public emphasizing struggles for peace, justice,
> and
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