Et tu, IKEA?

[marmar]

AlterNet / By David Sirota

IKEA Joins the Race To the Bottom With Its Treatment of U.S. Workers
A new report exposes racial discrimination, workplace mistreatment and union-busting by IKEA.

April 14, 2011 |


When it comes to ubiquitous symbols of mass American culture, the 1999 movie Fight Club aptly reminded us that bland Ikea furniture is now on par with Mom and Apple Pie.

.....(snip).....

Or so it seemed, until this week, when the Los Angeles Times published a damning story about Ikea's manufacturing plant in Danville, Va.

The piece looks at racial discrimination charges against the company, airs employees' complaints of workplace mistreatment, and examines Ikea's Walton-like efforts to bust union-organizing drives. Taken together, the allegations undermine one of Ikea's unique selling propositions and, in the process, lay bare a disturbing new economic dynamic -- one that now ensnares even the companies we think are the most socially conscious of all.

Buried in the Times report is the troubling story of why Ikea opened a plant in the United States in the first place. No, the decision wasn't made to take advantage of superior workforce skills or productivity -- positive attributes that once drove our manufacturing sector and built our middle class. Instead, it was made to exploit our decreasing wage levels and weak worker protections. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/economy/150615/ikea_joins_the_race_to_the_bottom_with_its_treatment_of_u.s._workers/

[Brickbat]

1. Car companies have been outsourcing to the south for years. This isn't a surprise at all.

And for some reason, no one seems embarrassed by it, either.

[Old and In the Way]

2. New England lost a lot of textile/shoe factories to the South in the 60's.

[Dappleganger]

3. Dan River Mills were founded in 1882.

They didn't steal textile factories from any place up North and have a long, proud history until the 1970's due to overseas competition.