The Workers Who Make Your Sneakers Are Mad As Hell

[Omaha Steve]

https://news.vice.com/article/the-workers-who-make-your-sneakers-are-mad-as-hell

By Olivia Becker

April 15, 2014 | 10:35 am

The people that make your Adidas, Nike, and Reebok sneakers have been protesting in China for the past three days over unpaid social security and housing benefits for workers.

Laborers at the Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings in Dongguan, Guangdong province began protesting on Saturday, with over 600 people taking to the streets before being stopped by police. The protests continued on Monday with over 1,000 participants, according to Yue Yuen. Some groups put the numbers higher — Hong Kong-based China Labor Bulletin said the number of protesters hit 10,000. Workers also occupied the factory’s dormitory in a general strike on Monday.

"The factory has been tricking us for 10 years," one worker said, according to the BBC. "The [local] government, labour bureau, social security bureau, and the company were all tricking us together."

According to Yue Yuen, the demonstrations were a result of a “misunderstanding” of benefits awarded to local and migrant workers.


The demonstrations at Yue Yuen are the latest in a series of labor strikes that have taken place in China and threatened the operations of major companies. Workers in other companies such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Nokia, and International Business Machines Corp. also staged demonstrations and have gone on strike in recent months.

FULL story at link.

[Brickbat]

1. I buy the made-in-USA New Balance ones, but I'm glad to see other workers are starting to stand up

for themselves.

[Warpy]

6. Same here, I love New Balance

because they fit me so well. Having them made in the US is just the cherry on the sundae.

[TheBlackAdder]

10. Same here.. Domestic trumps imports. NB USA only. Not their imports unless no other option.

Then I get NB just because they support Made in USA.

I get on family that uses Amazon, UPS, and FedEx too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. We need to join them!!!!

But, but...

[Initech]

3. Amen!!!

The Kochs and the Waltons alone are worth more than the combined gross domestic product of about 60 countries, and they're just adding more to the pile. It's getting disgusting and we need to start taking back what's rightfully ours.

[Enthusiast]

4. Just wait until they do this to the fucking cops standing there.

"Pensions? Well, they were unfunded, sorry"

The common people are being abused by government and industry all over the world.

[jtuck004]

5. Their Masters know this. They were paying millions to them to do their bidding in

the late 1800's, and it has done nothing except get more sophisticated, everyone more greedy.

The Masters will always want, and need, and pay for protection as long as they operate the scheme. After that they may put themselves out of reach, and we are left to each other.

[Armstead]

7. Well, I guess those companies now head to whatever Worst Place in the World they can find

Anywhere there is a docile workforce that is so desperate they will work for pennies and not complain.

Pretty soon that may be the good ol' USA

[De Leonist]

8. In very a strange way I wish I was there with them.

God I want to fight so bad sometimes.

I know Logically that yes it probably would be pretty dangerous to get caught up in something like that.

I don't want to actually hurt someone or get hurt but damn it all I know that I and many other people in this country are reaching a similar boiling point.

[aikoaiko]

9. I think my Sauconys are still made in the USA.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. Imported from the USA shoes

Zappos ships for free:

http://www.zappos.com/search/made+in+usa/filter/productTypeFacet/%22Shoes%22/orig/made+in+usa

Be careful with New Balance SKUs because only 1 in 4 are made in America.

Women - Tieks are made in California. Customer experience and service makes them woth every penny and they make their ballet flats to last.