Newsletter Archive
Week 1
Dear DCL Letter-Writing Volunteers!
Thank you for volunteering to write letters to companies in our Detention Camp Labor project, asking them to pledge not to use detention camp labor in their business.
If you didn't make it to one of the trainings please be sure to watch the video at this link so you understand what we're doing and how to do it well. Thank you.
We are asking you to write two letters per week, one each to two different companies.
Here's the background:
We have researched about 60 companies so far, finding their contact information and background information for what they make or do. We'll write to two companies per week and every week we'll send you an email with two new companies to write to.
For now, we are focusing on companies the research indicate currently use prison labor, and we assume they would be likely to use detention camp labor as well. Later, we will shift focus to other types of companies. One exception is one our companies below - Costco. They prohibit prison labor use, so we want to write a different kind of letter to them, as you'll see.
Below are the descriptions for the two companies we're starting with. Please write a letter to each of them.
Step 1 - Learn How To Write The Letters
First, please check out the suggested language you can use in your letter at this link. Please follow the instructions at the top for writing a letter that's more likely to be read!
Step 2 -Write and Send Your Letters
Write your letters to this week's companies using the ideas in the suggested language document. And put them in the mail! You did it!
Step 3 - Tell us you wrote and mailed your letters
After you mail your letter, please fill out this short form to tell us you did it, so we can keep track. Thanks! Also, you can email us here if you have any questions.
Below is the information for our two companies this week.
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
COMPANY NAME: ARAMARK CORPORATION
CONTACT PERSON: John Zillmer, CEO
COMPANY ADDRESS:
2400 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Through its subsidiary Aramark Correctional Services, Aramark provides food services to some 450 U.S. prisons and jails. Aramark also provides food to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration jails.
Aramark uses prison labor under the company's IN2WORK program, where "over 6,000 incarcerated individuals have worked in Aramark prison kitchens — many for 40 hours per week. The company, however, classifies incarcerated workers as “students” rather than “employees,” making them ineligible for adequate pay."
(https://investigate.info/company/aramark)
Aramark’s In2Work program uses incarcerated labor to make premium meals for other inmates, sold to their families and friends, without providing any compensation. Inmates are forced to labor for Aramark for virtually no pay.
COMPANY NAME: COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION
CONTACT PERSON: Ron Vachris, President, CEO and Director
COMPANY ADDRESS:
999 Lake Drive
Issaquah, WA, 98027
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
As you will see below, Costco is on this list because they do a very good job monitoring to ensure their suppliers do not abuse their workers and we want to thank them. You can read more at the bottom in their Code of Conduct. Please ask them to pledge to continue their current policy found in their Code of Conduct.
Costco Wholesale Corporation, doing business as Costco, is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores. As of 2021, Costco is the third-largest retailer in the world, and as of August 2024, Costco is the world's largest retailer of beef, poultry, organic produce, and wine, with just under a third of American consumers regularly shopping at Costco warehouses. Costco is ranked 11th on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue, as of 2024. (Wikipedia)
Costco previously purchased eggs from Hickman's Family Farms. But as of late 2025, Costco has stopped selling eggs produced by Hickman's Family Farms, likely due to a combination of factors including a severe avian flu outbreak and Hickman's controversial use of incarcerated labor. Reports from earlier in the year indicate that Costco "appears to have quietly removed Hickman's products from its shelves". investigate.afsc.org/company/costco-wholesale
Here is Costco’s Disclosure Regarding Human Trafficking and Anti-Slavery, describing its Code of Conduct prohibiting human rights abuses in its supply chain.
~ In Solidarity,
Vicki Miller and the Indivisible Philadelphia Team
Week 2
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
COMPANY NAME: Burger King Corp.
CONTACT PERSON: Joshua Kobza, CEO of Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the parent company of Burger King
COMPANY ADDRESS:
5707 Waterford District Dr.
Miami, FL 33126
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Burger King is an American multinational chain of fast-food hamburger restaurants, known for its flame-broiled burgers, the original "Whopper" sandwich, and a global presence with over 19,000 restaurants.
Its parent company is Restaurant Brands International (“RBI”), one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly $45 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 32,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories as of December 31, 2024. They own four of the world’s most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – TIM HORTONS®, BURGER KING®, POPEYES® and FIREHOUSE SUBS®.
Burger King is one of 500 businesses that lease incarcerated workers from one of the most violent, overcrowded and unruly prison systems in the U.S. in the past five years alone, information The Associated Press found as part of an investigation reported in 2024 into prison labor. The cheap, reliable labor force has generated more than $250 million for the state since 2000 through money garnished from prisoners’ paychecks. Prisoners also work in Burger King restaurants.
COMPANY NAME: McDonald's Corporation
CONTACT PERSON: Chris Kempczinski, CEO
COMPANY ADDRESS:
110 N. Carpenter St.
Chicago, IL 60607
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food restaurant chain. As of 2024, it is the second-largest by number of locations in the world. In 2018, McDonald's was the world's second-largest private employer after Walmart; most of its 1.7 million employees work in the restaurant's franchises."
In 2024 AP reported that in the five years earlier at least 500 prisoners have worked inside local McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants. In its Human Rights Policy, McDonald's states: "We prohibit the use of child labor, human trafficking, and forced, bonded, indentured or prison labor." However, inmates "filed a class-action federal lawsuit last year against state officials, local governments and businesses like McDonald’s and Wendy’s franchises, contending they perpetuate a system of forced labor akin to a “modern-day form of slavery” that keeps the best workers from being released." It is questionable how strictly McDonald's enforces its Human Rights Policy on its franchisees.
Week 3
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
COMPANY NAME: Applebee's Restaurants LLC
John Peyton, CEO of parent company Dine Brands Global
10 West Walnut Street, 4th Floor
Pasadena, CA 91103
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Applebee's Restaurants LLC. is an American company that develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar restaurant chain. Applebee's focuses on casual dining, with mainstream American dishes such as salads, chicken, burgers, and "riblets" (Applebee's signature dish).
Applebee's is one of 500 businesses that lease incarcerated workers from one of the most violent, overcrowded and unruly prison systems in the U.S. in the past five years alone, information The Associated Press found as part of an investigation reported in 2024 into prison labor. Prisoners work in Applebee's restaurants.
Dine Brands Global, Inc. is the parent company that owns Applebee's Restaurants LLC, as well as other brands like IHOP.
COMPANY NAME: T-Mobile US, Inc.
Mike Sievert, CEO
12929 Southeast 38 Street
Bellevue, WA 98006
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Sprint was acquired by T-Mobile US Inc. in 2020. Following the merger, Sprint ceased to exist as a separate company.
Inmates historically provided telecommunication services for Sprint. They were used in its call centers.
However, Sprint's new owner, T-Mobile, has a Human Rights Statement that states: "T-Mobile is deeply committed to respecting the human rights of all our stakeholders, including employees, suppliers, and customers. We believe that we have a responsibility to manage our business in a manner that is consistent with this commitment, and we expect the same of our affiliates, business partners, and their stakeholders.
This commitment is aligned with our company values, the expectations outlined in the Code, and with our commitment to operate responsibly. Including . . . prohibiting all forms of human trafficking and forced labor, including bonded, indentured, involuntary prison labor, or child labor in our business dealings, and supporting the elimination of it globally; . . ."
So you can mention T-Mobile's Human Rights Statement in your letter and ask them to sign the pledge to confirm they are following their commitments, including for the former Sprint operations.
Week 4
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
First, a couple of pointers. If there is a link about the company in the summary please do not copy and paste the link from our summary into your letter, particularly if it's a company document. They already have their own document and it transfers kind of weirdly to your letter.
Also, after receiving some suggestions from you all, we are including a more specific template for you to use in addition to the suggestions that are already in there. It's in the template document linked in Step 1.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Gaetano Auricchio, President
BelGiosioso Cheese, Inc.
4200 Main Street
Green Bay, WI 54311
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
BelGioiosio is a major player in the mozzarella cheese market. It makes 27 cheese varieties. It also owns the brand Poly-O, which makes ricotta, mozzarella and string cheese items. It owns other cheese brands too.
As of AP's January 24, 2024 report, BelGioioso Cheese uses surplus raw milk from a Wisconsin prison dairy. (Please do not copy and paste the link to the article into your letter. You can just say that "our research shows.")
However, in its January 7, 2024 Code of Corporate Conduct and Social Responsibility Policy, BelGioioso states: "VOLUNTARY LABOR: BelGioioso will not utilize prison, forced, bonded, or indentured labor, or use corporal punishment or other forms of mental and physical coercion as a form of discipline in the manufacture of its products."
https://www.belgioioso.com/csr/ (Please do not send them this link, as it's their own document. You can just name it.)
We should note the policy and then ask that they sign the pledge and confirm they will not use detention camp labor.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Brian Sikes, CEO and Board Chair
Cargill Ag Marketing SVC
15407 McGinty Rd W.
Wayzata, MN 55391
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Cargill is a commodity trader, earning millions from soy, corn, wheat straight from prisons. It supplies poultry plants, egg farms and fast-food restaurants. According to the AP article, Cargill has acknowledged "buying goods from prison farms in Tennessee, Arkansas and Ohio, saying they constituted only a small fraction of the company’s overall volume. It added that 'we are now in the process of determining the appropriate remedial action.'”
However, in Alabama, "where prisoners are leased out by companies, AP reporters followed inmate transport vans to poultry plants." "Among stops at other companies, the vans also stopped at a chicken processor, Tyson's, that’s part of a joint-venture with Cargill, which is America’s largest private company."
Week 5
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
First, a few pointers.
1. If there is a link about the company in the summary please do not copy and paste the link from our summary into your letter, particularly if it's a company document. They already have their own document and it transfers kind of weirdly to your letter.
2. Also, after receiving some suggestions from you all, we are including a generic letter for you to use if you want, in addition to the suggestions that are already in there. It's in the template document linked in Step 1.
3. Finally, the company background information below is just that - for your information. There's no need to feel you should incorporate it into your letters.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Randy Parker, CEO
Hyundai Motor America
10550 Talbert Ave
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Hyundai Motor Company is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer that designs, develops, and produces cars, trucks, buses, and hydrogen vehicles. Founded in 1967, it is the largest automaker in South Korea and the fifth largest in the world, known for its wide range of models and growing focus on advanced technologies like electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and hydrogen power. The company is a part of the larger Hyundai Motor Group, which also includes the Genesis luxury brand and Kia Corporation.
A supplier to Hyundai parts was forced to stop using Alabama prison labor after pressure following a New York Times article about the company’s involvement in Alabama’s expansive prison labor system.
The Hyundai Supplier Code of Conduct dictates that suppliers should not manufacture “directly or indirectly, with the use of forced labor.” A Hyundai spokesman declined to say whether the company had determined that Ju-Young, which makes fenders for the automaker, was in violation of that code or whether the labor of Alabama prisoners constituted “forced labor.” The supplier said it had dismissed dozens of incarcerated men it had employed through the Alabama Department of Corrections and ended its inmate labor contract with the state.
However, a November 7, 2025 Columbia Labor Lab study describes the "impact of prison labor in driving wage suppression in Hyundai/Kia’s supply chain." It finds that "under Alabama’s work release program, incarcerated individuals are contracted out to private companies, including suppliers within Hyundai/Kia’s Southern manufacturing network. Across Alabama and Georgia, Hyundai/Kia has a dense cluster of suppliers – many of which produce parts exclusively for Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Some of those suppliers rely on low-mobility workers, including incarcerated individuals."
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Scott Boatwright, CEO
Chipotle Mexican Grill
610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1100
Newport Beach, CA 92660
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Owner and operator of Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants, which feature a menu of burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and salads. The company strives to cultivate a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients and without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. In addition, the company endeavors to serve only meats that are raised in accordance with established sustainability criteria and that promote animal welfare.
Incarcerated people also have been contracted to companies that partner with prisons. According to reports, though the Taylor Farms has since stopped using prisoners, in recent years prisoners were hired in Arizona by Taylor Farms, "which sells salad kits in many major grocery stores nationwide and supplies popular fast-food chains and restaurants like Chipotle Mexican Grill."
Week 6
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
First, a few pointers.
1. If there is a link about the company in the summary please do not copy and paste the link from our summary into your letter, particularly if it's a company document. They already have their own document and it transfers kind of weirdly to your letter.
2. Also, after receiving some suggestions from you all, we are including a generic letter for you to use if you want, in addition to the suggestions that are already in there. It's in the template document linked in Step 1.
3. Finally, the company background information below is just that - for your information. There's no need to feel you should incorporate it into your letters.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
American Airlines Group, Inc.
Robert D. Isom, Jr., CEO
P.O. Box 619616
DFW Airport, TX 75261-9616
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Older reports (pre-2015) link American Airlines to prison labor practices, with inmates allegedly taking reservations or supporting operations at very low or no pay, contributing to profit models criticized as exploitative. No recent (post-2020) verified contracts or direct usage appear in our research.
American Airlines states that it publicly combats human trafficking via employee training but has not issued specific statements on prison labor in the reviewed materials. AA Modern Slavery Report "As a global airline, we recognize our unique role and responsibility to combat human trafficking, modern slavery and child exploitation. We embrace this responsibility by maintaining a comprehensive human trafficking and modern slavery prevention program."
American has not publicly renounced their previous use of inmates. Their published Modern Slavery Report addresses trafficking, modern slavery, and child exploitation, but makes no specific reference to prison labor, so we have not found whether they continue to use or benefit from services using inmates.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
BWH Hotels Group
Larry Cuculic, CEO
6201 N 24th Pkwy
Phoenix, AZ 85016
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
BWH Hotels is the parent company that oversees the Best Western Hotels & Resorts, SureStay Hotels, and WorldHotels brands.
Back in 2019 many hotel companies publicly condemned the federal government’s use of their rooms for this purpose, an attorney who receives government detention data told CNN. At least seven companies issued statements opposing the detention of immigrants in their hotels following protests from customers and activists.
However, a Best Western in Los Angeles’ Chinatown also reportedly held immigrant youth – with two children staying there over two months. The Best Western chain stated in July that it was unaware of any of its locations being used as detention centers. “We believe that hotels should be used for their intended purpose which is to provide accommodation for the traveling public,” it said at the time. When asked by CNN about the recent stays, the company said in a statement that the hotel in question no longer “offers or provides accommodations” to ICE.
Week 7
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
First, a few pointers.
1. IMPORTANT CHANGE: We have received good information that if we say in the letter that if the company does not sign the pledge we will need to stop buying their product, it will have much more impact. Obviously this only works for a company where we can buy their product, but the more we can use it, the better. So we're adding that language to the template for everyone, even if you're not an existing customer.
2. If there is a link about the company in the summary please do not copy and paste the link from our summary into your letter, particularly if it's a company document. They already have their own document and it transfers kind of weirdly to your letter.
3. Also, after receiving some suggestions from you all, we are including a generic letter for you to use if you want, in addition to the suggestions that are already in there. It's in the template document linked in Step 1.
4. Finally, the company background information below is just that - for your information. There's no need to feel you should incorporate it into your letters.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Ben & Jerry's Holdiings
Jochanan Senf, CEO
35 Thompson Street South
Burlington, VT 05403
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
It's a mixed bag with Ben & Jerry's and labor issues. However, we believe they are a good candidate to sign the pledge because they receive good publicity for their advocacy programs. This is also the perfect company to tell them you won't buy their products if they do not sign the pledge.
We could not find any direct prison labor issues. In fact the company has criticized government and private use of prison labor. But they have run into trouble on child labor regarding migrant children working in their supply chain. Their parent company Unilever was set to sell off their ice cream subsidiaries including Ben and Jerry’s, by the end of 2025 but hasn’t yet completed the sell-off.
In 2022 Ben and Jerry’s announced its participation in Unlock Potential with co-founder Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ). The program was promoted as a first of its kind employment program for young people who are most vulnerable to incarceration. Ben & Jerry’s is a named employer partner in Unlock Potential’s pilot and expansion in 2024, with some of its Scoop Shops committed to “first‑chance hiring” for youth who’ve experienced juvenile justice, foster care, trafficking, or parental incarceration. We have not been able to confirm whether Ben & Jerry's is still a partner in the program.
Ben & Jerry’s Homemade has been linked to labor issues mostly through its dairy and manufacturing supply chains, where investigators and advocates have raised concerns about child and “near forced” labor–type conditions, especially for migrant workers.
A 2023 New York Times investigation reported that underage migrant children were working long, dangerous shifts in U.S. factories and facilities that supply major brands, including dairy suppliers connected to Ben & Jerry’s. Ben & Jerry’s has responded that it will not tolerate suppliers that mistreat migrant children, describing that it has embedding a worker driven labor program—Milk with Dignity—into its dairy supply chain, and by publicly committing to oppose and address child labor and migrant worker abuse through that framework.
In 2017 Ben & Jerry’s signed a legally binding agreement with Migrant Justice to implement the Milk with Dignity program across its Northeast dairy supply chain, making it the first major dairy buyer to adopt this worker led human rights model.
However, some reports cast doubt on the their compliance with this program.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Eversource Energy
Joseph R. Nolan, Jr. President and CEO
300 Cadwell Drive
Springfield, MA 01104
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
We think Eversource Energy is mostly a "good" company and more likely to sign the pledge. Eversource operates regulated electric and gas distribution systems, plus some water utilities, for over four million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
On January 13, 2021, Eversource announced that it would not donate to any of the members of Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. In a statement, Eversource’s Chief Communications Officer Jim Hunt said, “at Eversource, we were deeply disturbed by the intentional disruption of our democratic process and the violence that occurred at the Capitol last week.” Eversource has kept its promise not to donate to any election deniers and has made few political contributions in general.
However, there is no clear public evidence that Eversource currently uses prison labor in its own direct workforce. There is also no affirmative disclosure that it does not, and no detailed, public mapping of its contractors’ or suppliers’ use of incarcerated workers.
In the past, Eversource has had some issues with wage violations, workplace safety citations, labor protests over schedules, and discrimination claims and environmental issues. and other environmental infractions. In 2014, they were cited for firing 200 American workers after having forced them to train foreign replacements. In 2019 they were fined for failing to pay workers timely wages.
Week 8
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
First, a few pointers.
1. IMPORTANT CHANGE: We have received good information that if we say in the letter that if the company does not sign the pledge we will need to stop buying their product, it will have much more impact. Obviously this only works for a company where we can buy their product, but the more we can use it, the better. So we're adding that language to the template.
2. If there is a link about the company in the summary please do not copy and paste the link from our summary into your letter, particularly if it's a company document. They already have their own document and it transfers kind of weirdly to your letter.
3. Also, after receiving some suggestions from you all, we are including a generic letter for you to use if you want, in addition to the suggestions that are already in there. It's at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
4. Finally, the company background information below is just that - for your information. There's no need to feel you should incorporate it into your letters.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
AirBNB
Brian Chesky, CEO
888 Brannan Street 3rd Floor
San Francisco, California 94103
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Airbnb is on our list because after January 6, 2021, Airbnb released a statement promising to withhold donations from those who voted against certifying the election. “Airbnb strongly condemns last week’s attack on the US Capitol and the efforts to undermine our democratic process,” the company said. Since then, the company has kept its promise and has not donated to any members of Congress who voted to overturn the election. We think this is a good sign, and that perhaps they will be more likely to sign the pledge
Among other positive actions, in August 2017, Airbnb cancelled numerous bookings and closed accounts belonging to attendees of the white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, citing its terms of service.
The company faced backlash from human rights groups when it was one of the 15 leading sponsors of the 2022 Winter Olympics, held in Beijing, and was asked, but ignored, requests to drop its sponsorship over the government's alleged human rights violations concerning the Uyghurs. The company later announced it would shut down all domestic listings and experiences in mainland China (although it was publicly attributed to COVID‑related business difficulties).
In March 2022, Airbnb suspended business in Russia and Belarus due to international sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But of course, not all is rosy, as co-founder and board member Joe Gebbia joined the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in 2021. Concern that Gebbia's work for DOGE undermines U.S. democracy resulted in widespread calls to boycott Airbnb.
In November 2025 Airbnb partnered with Women’s Aid and City Hall in launch of London pilot to provide domestic abuse survivors with temporary housing.
We could not find specific cases of incarcerated workers being used to clean or maintain Airbnb listings in Florida, a state that has used forced labor for disaster cleanup work.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
YUM! Brands, Inc.
Chris Turner, CEO
1900 Colonel Sanders Lane
Louisville, KY 40213
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Yum! develops, operates, franchises, and licenses a global system of both traditional and non-traditional quick-service restaurants. The company operates restaurants under various brands including KFC, Pizza Hut and the Taco Bell restaurants.
It has released an array of policies documenting their commitment to ethical principles. These include:
1. A Human Rights and Labor Practices Policy which utilizes the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the International Labor Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
2. Their Supplier Code of Conduct specifically references prison labor—“ Suppliers will use due diligence as a means to identify and prevent human rights risks, and must not use any forced or involuntary labor, whether prison, bonded, indentured or otherwise.” There is no explicit mention of prison labor in the company’s other policies directed within the company itself.
3. They even provide an index on their corporate website for employees, suppliers, and franchisees to reference specific ethical positions and policies.
The one blemish we found is in some of the franchises in their KFC Division. According to a class-action lawsuit filed in December 2023, incarcerated individuals held in minimum-security prisons in Alabama are "leased" out and transported to day jobs at fast-food chains, including KFC, Burger King, McDonald's, and Wendy's. Under this "convict leasing" system, incarcerated individuals are allegedly forced to work for KFC and other businesses that pay incarcerated workers wages lower than those required by law; forces them to work long and demanding work hours and sometimes in unsafe work conditions; and exploits such workers in other ways, knowing that they cannot refuse to work or raise concerns about workplace conditions without risking serious disciplinary action, such as being returned to "more violent and life-threatening" prisons.
As with some of the other companies, we are writing to Yum! Brands to tell them we expect them to live up to their written policies and pledge they will not use detention camp labor.
Week 9
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
First, a few pointers.
1. IMPORTANT CHANGE: We have received good information that if we say in the letter that if the company does not sign the pledge we will need to stop buying their product, it will have much more impact. Obviously this only works for a company where we can buy their product, but the more we can use it, the better. So we're adding that language to the template.
2. If there is a link about the company in the summary please do not copy and paste the link from our summary into your letter, particularly if it's a company document. They already have their own document and it transfers kind of weirdly to your letter.
3. Also, after receiving some suggestions from you all, we are including a generic letter for you to use if you want, in addition to the suggestions that are already in there. It's at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
4. Finally, the company background information below is just that - for your information. There's no need to feel you should incorporate it into your letters.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Hickman's Family Farms
Glenn Hickman, President & CEO
6515 S. Jackrabbit Trail
Buckeye, AZ 85326
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Hickman's Family Farms is a prominent (previously family-owned) Arizona-based agricultural company founded in 1944. It was the largest egg producer in the Southwest and among the top 20 nationwide. Producing over 3 million eggs daily. They lost 95% of their flock in the 2025 avian flu crisis and agreed to be acquired by JBS global food conglomerate - looking for new investment to help bring the farm back to life. Although they were recently acquired by JBS Food Services, the family still operates the farms.
Hickman’s business model relies on prison labor. They have been beset with numerous articles and lawsuits related to dangerous working conditions, meager pay, severe injuries, and environmental abuses (to name a few). Several lawsuits filed by incarcerated individuals were settled outside of court. They are the largest client of the Arizona Dept of Corrections. We offer here but a few of the significant problems with their business model. For example they also contribute to significant air pollution in the small town of Tonopah, AZ.
Importantly Arizona does not classify incarcerated workers as employees, which excludes them from OSHA protections and state labor standards. Hickman's uses this to their advantage. “Shift logs and monthly injury reports offer additional detail. In 2020, at least nineteen injuries were documented, including chemical burns from cleaning agents used on egg-wash stations, crushed fingers, falls on slick concrete, and an amputation involving processing equipment." The list of injuries goes on and on in the report linked above.
During the Pandemic, the local prison had stopped incarcerated workers from leaving the prison during Covid, but one exception was made for Arizona's largest client for state prison labor – Hickman’s Farms - with the one condition being that the prisoners be housed on the farm. A giant camp was built on Hickman's farms for women prisoners where they suffered from working in hazardous conditions with meager pay.
Shift logs and monthly injury reports offer additional detail. In 2020, at least nineteen injuries were documented, including chemical burns from cleaning agents used on egg-wash stations, crushed fingers, falls on slick concrete, and an amputation involving processing equipment.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Clorox Company
Linda Rendle, CEO
1221 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Clorox maintains, reviews, and keeps current extensive company policies on ethics including the following:
o Code of Conduct: Outlines ethical and legal standards for all directors, executives, and employees worldwide. It emphasizes uncompromising honesty, integrity, and compliance with laws, often exceeding legal minimums.
o Modern Slavery, Forced Labor & Supply Chain Transparency Statement: Explicitly bans forced, bonded, indentured, or compulsory labor, enforce through self-certification, audits, site visits, and third-party risk assessments to prevent human trafficking and slavery.
o Human Rights Statement: Commits to safe, inclusive, and healthy working conditions; the company says it does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, unlawful child labor, or forced or trafficked labor.
o Signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), committing Clorox to protecting people’s dignity and rights – “within our company, supply chain and our communities.”
Clorox has supported reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals, signaling a positive stance on justice reform.
In 2020, The Clorox Company Foundation committed $2.5 million to help fight racism and inequality. Some of those funds were granted to support the work of the Georgia Justice Project to accelerate Black community access to justice and criminal justice reform.
Clorox committed 300,000 employee volunteer hours through a partnership with Realize the Dream, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy by supporting schools and communities.
The Clorox Co. has been named to the Parity.org’s 2024 Best Companies for Equal Advancement Opportunity™.
Clorox maintains a policy against animal testing except when legally required with no alternatives available, however, animal rights groups like PETA and Cruelty-Free Kitty argue Clorox is not fully cruelty-free, as it sells in markets like China where testing may be required.
Week 10
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
First, a few pointers.
1. IMPORTANT CHANGE: We have received good information that if we say in the letter that if the company does not sign the pledge we will need to stop buying their product, it will have much more impact. Obviously this only works for a company where we can buy their product, but the more we can use it, the better. So we're adding that language to the template.
2. If there is a link about the company in the summary please do not copy and paste the link from our summary into your letter, particularly if it's a company document. They already have their own document and it transfers kind of weirdly to your letter.
3. Also, after receiving some suggestions from you all, we are including a generic letter for you to use if you want, in addition to the suggestions that are already in there. It's at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
4. Finally, the company background information below is just that - for your information. There's no need to feel you should incorporate it into your letters.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Expedia Group, Inc.
Ariane Gorin, CEO
1111 Expedia Group Way W
Seattle, WA 98119
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Expedia has published robust documentation of their human rights policies and practices including:
o Modern Slavery Statement which asserts that Expedia commits to protect human and workplace rights in the travel industry, and prohibits and opposes all forms of modern slavery, servitude, forced labor and human trafficking. Their policy commits to on-going review to assure that the company will monitor, manage, and track performance against this Statement and will work towards continual improvement
o Vendor Code of Conduct which explicitly prohibits the use of forced labor by all Expedia Group vendors and subcontractors.
o Global Impact Report which verifies the company’s progress in the areas of climate change, biodiversity, inclusion and diversity, human rights, social impact, and traveler safety.
· Expedia prioritizes integrity, empathy, and accountability, with high employee satisfaction in fairness and ethics (over 85% in recent scores).
· Expedia co-founded the World Travel & Tourism Council's anti-trafficking task force and partners with UNESCO on the Sustainable Travel Pledge to bolster vulnerable communities.
· Expedia participates in the Blue Lightning Initiative under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security program, collaborating with the Dept. of Justice and FBI to detect suspicious platform activity linked to trafficking cases.
· Post-January 6, 2021, many companies paused then resumed PAC donations member of Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 election, but Expedia we have no indication that Expedia has reversed its stand or has made major contributions to election deniers.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Trader Joe's
Bryan Palbaum, CEO
800 Shamrock Avenue
Morovia, CA 91016
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
A private company, Trader Joe's is a national chain of grocery stores combining features of a discount warehouse club, natural foods store, specialty grocer, and neighborhood store. The company sources food items, wine, and other products that it sells under its own brand label. Most food products are natural, cruelty free, and made without artificial ingredients.
A December 20, 2024 article notes that Trader Joe’s, along with Cargill, McDonald’s and others, “responded to that reporting earlier this year by either cutting ties with correctional departments or third-party suppliers or indicating they were in the process of doing so.” Trader Joe’s separate California Transparency in Supply Chains disclosure from 2010 states that it prohibits “prison labor or forced or illegal child labor” in its supplier code and monitors compliance through audits, but that is a standing policy document and not labeled as the specific response cited in the AP investigation.
Recent large investigations into U.S. prison labor in food supply chains list many big brands and retailers, but Trader Joe’s does not appear as a central or repeated example in those reports.
So while we can’t find any specific response from Trader Joe’s that they do NOT use prison/forced labor, we also can’t find any indication that they do.
Trader Joe's spearheads several admirable actions for consumers and communities where their stores are located:
The company continues to donate 100% of unsold but still-good food to local nonprofits every single day through its Neighborhood Shares program.
Every store partners with local organizations.
Donations include produce, prepared foods, bakery items, dairy, eggs, and proteins.
This program is active nationwide and highlighted again in Dec 2024 and Dec 2025 updates.
The company has strengthened its community‑focused brand identity
It continues to emphasize:
A customer‑experience‑first model with no self checkout
Affordable, curated products
A community‑oriented store culture
Minimal advertising to keep prices low
Week 11
THIS WEEK'S COMPANIES
First, a few pointers.
1. IMPORTANT CHANGE: We have received good information that if we say in the letter that if the company does not sign the pledge we will need to stop buying their product, it will have much more impact. Obviously this only works for a company where we can buy their product, but the more we can use it, the better. So we're adding that language to the template.
2. If there is a link about the company in the summary please do not copy and paste the link from our summary into your letter, particularly if it's a company document. They already have their own document and it transfers kind of weirdly to your letter.
3. Also, after receiving some suggestions from you all, check out the generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
4. The company background information below is just that - for your information. There's no need to feel you should incorporate it into your letters. We simply want to help you get to know the company you're writing to.
5. Furthermore, please keep in mind that whether a company uses prison labor is not directly important to our letters. We just believe that if they already use prison labor they may be more likely to use detention camp labor. This is only for our own information and interest, not for your letter itself.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Juan R. Luciano, Chairman of the Board, President, CEO
77 West Wacker Drive, Suite 4600
Chicago, IL 60601
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is a food manufacturing company that produces, processes, transports, stores, and merchandizes agricultural products, commodities, and ingredients. The company produces food and beverage ingredients, and other products made from oilseeds, corn, wheat, and other agricultural commodities.
Its major products include natural flavors and color, health and nutrition products, vegetable oil, corn sweeteners, flour, animal feed, and biofuels. The company stores, cleans and transports agricultural commodities such as oilseeds, corn wheat, barley, milo, oats, and other products derived from these inputs through its extensive global grain elevator and transportation network. It has business operations that span the world.
While prison labor seeps into the supply chains of some companies through third-party suppliers without them knowing, others buy direct. Huge commodity traders that are essential to feeding the globe, like ADM, have in recent years purchased millions of dollars’ worth of soy, corn and wheat straight from prisons.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc.
Joshua Kobza, CEO
5707 Blue Lagoon Drive
Miami, FL 33126
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is an American multinational chain of fried chicken restaurants founded in 1972 in New Orleans. It is currently a subsidiary of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International. As of 2021, Popeyes has 3,705 restaurants, which are located in more than 46 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 30 countries worldwide.
"In several states, along with raising chickens, cows and hogs, corrections departments have their own processing plants, dairies and canneries. But many states also hire out prisoners to do that same work at big private companies.
The AP met women in Mississippi locked up at restitution centers, the equivalent of debtors’ prisons, to pay off court-mandated expenses. They worked at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and other fast-food chains and also have been hired out to individuals for work" at their homes.