Wayfair employees are staging a walkout on Wednesday to protest the CEO’s decision to continue furnishing the detention centers where migrant children are being held.
The organizers of the walkout urged Wayfair to cease all business with the centers and claim that the CEO refused.
“In response to a recent letter signed by 547 employees, our CEO said that the company would not cease doing business with contractors furnishing border camps,” @wayfairwalkout wrote on Twitter. “We ask that the company donate the $86,000 in profit they made from this sale to RAICES.”
In response to a recent letter signed by 547 employees, our CEO said that the company would not cease doing business with contractors furnishing border camps. We ask that the company donate the $86,000 in profit they made from this sale to RAICES. #wayfairwalkout
— wayfairwalkout (@wayfairwalkout) June 25, 2019
Current and former customers also had a lot to say about the contract. One Twitter user wrote that they will no longer be purchasing Wayfair products.
“I was going to go through @Wayfair to order materials, an appliance, and fixtures, but I will be going through a different company unless that’s resolved,” @MoString wrote. “I will not order things for my renovation from a company whose CEO profits and benefits from concentration camps, and is evidently content to do so.”
I will not order things for my renovation through a company whose CEO profits and benefits from concentration camps, and is evidently content to do so. I’m content to spend my cash elsewhere.
— Morgan L. Stringer, TTPD Gen Counsel (@MoString) June 25, 2019
The walkout organizers have not yet personally authenticated their claim by releasing the CEO’s letter. However, both the letter sent by Wayfair employees and the company’s response were shared by two Twitter users.
In the letter to the Wayfair Leadership team, employees wrote out of “concern and anger about the atrocities being committed on our southern border.” They wrote that they wanted “to be sure that Wayfair has no part in enabling, supporting, or profiting from” the practice of holding immigrants in detention centers.
The letter details a particular deal of B2B sales totaling $200,ooo of bedroom furniture with “BCFS, a non-profit government contractor which manages” migrant camps at the border. The employees wrote that the ethics of this contract don’t represent “an ethical business partnership Wayfair should choose to be a part of.” They call for Wayfair to cancel this contract and establish ethical codes which will prevent similar B2B contracts from being made.
Responding to the letter, Wayfair’s Leadership Team said that although they understand why their employees feel this way, they will fill orders for any customer, as a means of “respecting diversity of thought.” The leadership team said that as a mass-market brand, Wayfair is “oriented to serve a broad and diverse customer base.”
https://twitter.com/FizFashizzle/status/1143530739541139457
https://twitter.com/sun_daiz/status/1143548274240102401
People are even tweeting to other customers, asking them if they are aware of the contract.
“I see you support immigrant rights,” @LaukRed wrote to one customer. “As a heads up, you may want to reconsider buying from Wayfair as they are furnishing concentration camps & issued a shitty statement about it @wayfairwalkout for more info.”
https://twitter.com/LaukRed/status/1143584870150467584
They’re too busy fulfilling their concentration camp orders…
— Etta Devine (@EttaDevine) June 25, 2019
.@Wayfair, they’ve got just what I need– unless it’s justice and treating people like human beings… apparently they don’t have that.
— Alissa (@_al_man) June 25, 2019
(Wayfair comms staff reading this: I’m sorry you’re stuck dealing with this. I hope you’re taking care of yourself & fighting the good fight.) https://t.co/r2PJuVjEWr
READ MORE:
- Twitter lifts ‘permanent’ suspension of activist Barrett Brown
- People are not falling for these ICE ‘propaganda’ photos
- AOC has the best response to Steve King’s ‘concentration camp’ criticism
- Report: CBP contractor hack was vast, revealed plans for border surveillance
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