Workers at the Wayfair furniture and home accessories company are planning a walkout on Wednesday to protest the business supplying beds to holding centers for children who have come or been brought across the U.S. border from Mexico. And some Democrats are praising them for the move.
“Wayfair workers couldn’t stomach they were making beds to cage children, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeted on Tuesday. “They asked the company to stop. CEO said no.
“Tomorrow, they‘re walking out,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “This is what solidarity looks like — a reminder that everyday people have real power, as long as we’re brave enough to use it.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) also weighed in on Twitter.
“We must actively #resist any & all efforts by this cruel, incompetent administration to cage children and separate families. I proudly stand in solidarity w/ the hardworking individuals at #Wayfair who are walking out in the name of #justice & humanity,” Pressley tweeted.
The workers also announced their walkout on Twitter on a @wayfairwalkout account.
“tl;dr – Wayfair sold beds to furnish border camps; 547 employees signed a petition to ask that we cease all business with border camps; CEO said no —>employees are walking out tmrw at 1:30 pm. We ask that Wayfair donate all profits made from the sale to RAICES #WayfairWalkout”
The Boston Globe reported on the walkout at the Boston-based company:
According to a Wayfair employee who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution, Wayfair employees learned last Wednesday that a $200,000 order of bedroom furniture had been placed by BCFS, a government contractor that has been managing camps at the border.
“We were disheartened and concerned about Wayfair’s business” with BCFS, the employee said, and so employees decided to act. Within hours, a group of 50 employees began drafting a letter to the company’s executive leadership, which included cofounders Niraj Shah, Steve Conine, and the entire board, outlining their concerns. More than 547 employees signed the letter before it was handed off to the leadership team.
“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 letter stated.
“At Wayfair, we believe that ‘everyone should live in a home that they love.’ 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,” the letter stated.
The Globe also reported on the company’s letter in response to the employee’s plan.
“We also believe in the importance of respecting diversity of thought within our organization and across our customer base,” the letter said.
“As a retailer, it is standard practice to fulfill orders for all customers and we believe it is our business to sell to any customer who is acting within the laws of the countries within which we operate,” the letter said.“We believe all of our stakeholders, employees, customers, investors, and suppliers included are best served by our commitment to fulfill our orders.”
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