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Wayfair Furniture Employees to Walk Out Over Sales to Migrant Facilities Wayfair Furniture Employees to Walk Out Over Sales to Migrant Facilities
(about 3 hours later)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Employees at Wayfair, the online home furnishings giant, are planning to walk out of the company’s Boston headquarters on Wednesday to protest its sale of $200,000 worth of bedroom furniture to a government contractor that operates a network of shelters for migrant children near the southwestern border. CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Employees at Wayfair, the online home furnishings giant, are planning to walk out of the company’s Boston headquarters on Wednesday afternoon to protest its sale of $200,000 worth of bedroom furniture to a government contractor that operates a network of shelters for migrant children near the southwestern border.
The walkout was planned after more than 500 employees signed a letter to the company’s leadership asking that Wayfair cease all business with the contractor, BCFS, and others involved in operating such facilities and that it establish a code of ethics for sales, according to an employee involved in organizing the protest, who said she would speak only on a condition of anonymity so as not to take credit for a group effort.The walkout was planned after more than 500 employees signed a letter to the company’s leadership asking that Wayfair cease all business with the contractor, BCFS, and others involved in operating such facilities and that it establish a code of ethics for sales, according to an employee involved in organizing the protest, who said she would speak only on a condition of anonymity so as not to take credit for a group effort.
The protest comes as conditions in overcrowded shelters for migrant children are coming under new scrutiny and becoming a focus of debate over President Trump’s immigration policies, amid reports of children and teenagers being denied access to showers, clean clothing and sufficient food.The protest comes as conditions in overcrowded shelters for migrant children are coming under new scrutiny and becoming a focus of debate over President Trump’s immigration policies, amid reports of children and teenagers being denied access to showers, clean clothing and sufficient food.
[Read about Sarah Fabian, a Justice Department lawyer who was questioned by federal judges about the Trump administration not providing soap or toothbrushes for migrant children.]
The workers’ letter said, in part, that they “want to be sure that Wayfair has no part in enabling, supporting, or profiting from this practice.”The workers’ letter said, in part, that they “want to be sure that Wayfair has no part in enabling, supporting, or profiting from this practice.”
The letter continued: ”We believe that the current actions of the United States and their contractors at the Southern border do not represent an ethical business partnership Wayfair should choose to be a part of.”
The company’s leadership responded with its own letter on Monday evening, defending the contract and saying, in essence, that it would not discriminate among customers who were operating within the law.The company’s leadership responded with its own letter on Monday evening, defending the contract and saying, in essence, that it would not discriminate among customers who were operating within the law.
“No matter how strongly any one of us feels about an issue, it is important to keep in mind that not all employees or customers agree,” the response said. “Your fellow employees hold a wide range of opinions and perspectives and Wayfair, as a mass-market brand, is oriented to serve a broad and diverse customer base.”“No matter how strongly any one of us feels about an issue, it is important to keep in mind that not all employees or customers agree,” the response said. “Your fellow employees hold a wide range of opinions and perspectives and Wayfair, as a mass-market brand, is oriented to serve a broad and diverse customer base.”
The employees’ letter said the furniture was destined for a new facility being opened in Carrizo Springs, Tex., that will hold as many as 1,600 teenagers, according to an Associated Press report to which the letter linked. The shelter is being opened amid a surge in unaccompanied children crossing the border to escape poverty and violence in their home countries, mainly in Central America.The employees’ letter said the furniture was destined for a new facility being opened in Carrizo Springs, Tex., that will hold as many as 1,600 teenagers, according to an Associated Press report to which the letter linked. The shelter is being opened amid a surge in unaccompanied children crossing the border to escape poverty and violence in their home countries, mainly in Central America.
BCFS, the operator of the planned facility in Carrizo Springs, is a global network of nonprofit groups that is focused on disaster relief and international aid. Recently, after the Trump administration said it would restrict or cancel educational and recreational activities for children in shelters because of financial constraints, BCFS said it would not do that and would use reserve funds to continue providing the activities. The letter said that the company had previously outfitted another camp operated by BCFS, in Tornillo, Texas, that was open from June 2018 to January 2019 and at one point housed nearly 3,000 migrant children. That camp came to symbolize the mass detention of migrant children by the Trump administration and was the target of daily protests.
BCFS, a global network of nonprofit groups that is focused on disaster relief and international aid, ran similar emergency shelters during the Obama administration. Recently, after the Trump administration said it would restrict or cancel educational and recreational activities for children in shelters because of financial constraints, BCFS said it would not do that and would use reserve funds to continue providing the activities.
According to the Wayfair employee involved in organizing the protest, another employee had become aware of the contract last Wednesday and raised concerns on an internal messaging channel. Roughly two dozen employees subsequently drafted the letter, which was sent to a group of executives and board members that included the company’s founders, Niraj Shah and Steve Conine.According to the Wayfair employee involved in organizing the protest, another employee had become aware of the contract last Wednesday and raised concerns on an internal messaging channel. Roughly two dozen employees subsequently drafted the letter, which was sent to a group of executives and board members that included the company’s founders, Niraj Shah and Steve Conine.
On its website, under “Our Promise,” Wayfair says, “Wayfair believes everyone should live in a home that they love.”On its website, under “Our Promise,” Wayfair says, “Wayfair believes everyone should live in a home that they love.”
In their letter, the employees cited that line, saying, “Let’s stay true to that message by taking a stand against the reprehensible practice of separating families, which denies them any home at all.”In their letter, the employees cited that line, saying, “Let’s stay true to that message by taking a stand against the reprehensible practice of separating families, which denies them any home at all.”
News of the walkout was met with praise by some Democratic lawmakers, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who wrote about the situation on Twitter.News of the walkout was met with praise by some Democratic lawmakers, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who wrote about the situation on Twitter.
It brought criticism from President Trump’s campaign, which also weighed in on social media.It brought criticism from President Trump’s campaign, which also weighed in on social media.
Elsewhere, workers at technology companies have turned to walkouts and protests to pressure their leadership to change practices or adopt new policies.Elsewhere, workers at technology companies have turned to walkouts and protests to pressure their leadership to change practices or adopt new policies.
At Google, last November, employees around the world staged a walkout to protest the company’s handling of sexual harassment claims, and the company abandoned a plan to work with the Pentagon in part because of employee objections. At Microsoft last year, workers protested the software maker’s work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.At Google, last November, employees around the world staged a walkout to protest the company’s handling of sexual harassment claims, and the company abandoned a plan to work with the Pentagon in part because of employee objections. At Microsoft last year, workers protested the software maker’s work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The employees participating in the walkout planned to gather in Copley Square, near the company’s offices. In addition to the requests in their letter, the employees are asking the company to donate the $86,000 profit it made from the sale to BCFS to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, or Raices, a nonprofit organization that provides low-cost legal defense services to immigrant and refugee families in Texas.
“Beds/No beds, for kids improperly locked up, is a false dichotomy,” read a posting on Twitter sent Tuesday evening from an account for the protest, @wayfairwalkout. “We are not against beds, we are against profiting off the detention of children. A PRISON WITH A BED IS STILL A PRISON.”