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.
Week 12
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:
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Donnie King, CEO
2200 W Don Tyson Pkwy
Springdale, Arkansas 72765
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
This is the perfect opportunity to tell this company that you will stop buying their products if they do not sign the pledge.
Tyson Foods is one of the leading food companies and a recognized leader in protein worldwide. It is one of the largest US chicken producers. The company also offers processed and pre-cooked meats and refrigerated and frozen prepared foods. Its chicken operations are vertically integrated — the company hatches the eggs, supplies contract growers with the chicks and feed, and brings them back for processing when ready. Tyson's brands include Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright, ibp, Aidells, and State Fair. Its customers include retail, wholesale, and food service companies worldwide, although the US accounts for most sales.
Tyson uses incarcerated labor at its poultry plants. For example, incarcerated individuals in Alabama are "leased" out and transported to day jobs at poultry plants operated by Tyson.
In addition, Tyson purchases food products from suppliers that source from prison labor programs. For example, cattle raised by people incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) - a maximum-security prison located on the grounds of a former slave plantation - are processed at a slaughterhouse in Texas that supplies Tyson, Sam's Club, and other companies. Tyson's policies prohibit the use of forced labor in all of its operations and facilities but do not explicitly bar the use of prison labor.
We have not found that the company uses detention camp labor to date. However, a DHS immigrant detention facility opened on the grounds of Angola prison, right where cattle are raised that end up at Tyson's and its subsidiaries. So their supply chain may include detention camp labor and we will keep researching this.
And there's the issue of using child migrant labor. As of 2023, the Labor Department had investigated Tyson Foods after reports that migrant children as young as 13 have been working overnight shifts to clean the company's plants. "Under federal law, those tasks are strictly off limits for anyone under 18 because of the inherent risks."
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Taylor Fresh Foods, Inc.
Bruce Taylor, CEO
150 Main Street, Suite 300
Salinas, CA 93901
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Taylor Fresh Foods (Taylor Farms) is the Arizona-based arm of one of North America’s largest fresh‑cut produce companies, operating major salad‑processing and crop‑production facilities in Yuma. It plays a key role in the company’s winter‑season supply chain, producing bagged salads and fresh‑cut vegetables for national retailers and food‑service customers.
Taylor Farms products reach so many places where we shop. National retailers known to carry Taylor Farms products include: Walmart, Kroger (and its banners: Ralphs, Fry’s, Smith’s, King Soopers, etc.), Safeway / Albertsons, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, HEB, Publix, Meijer, WinCo, Food Lion, Giant / Stop & Shop, Hy‑Vee, and Sprouts Farmers Market.
Reportedly, Taylor Farms has stopped using prison labor as of at least January, 2024.
Taylor Farms has a history of labor safety issues. In 2017 the National Labor Relations Board prosecuted Taylor Farms and its temp agencies over numerous alleged violations of the National Labor Relations Act, including terminating workers for union activity, threats of closure and deportation, and coercive interrogations; the case was settled with about 267,000 dollars in payments to affected workers and a commitment not to repeat the violations.
In 2025 OSHA fined Taylor Farms New Jersey (a Taylor Fresh Foods subsidiary) roughly $1.1 million after a worker died during cleaning and OSHA found 16 serious safety violations related to lockout/tagout procedures and training.
Week 13
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:
Avis Budget Group
Brian Choi, CEO
379 Interpace Parkway
Parsippany, NJ 07054
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Avis Budget Group is a leading global provider of vehicle rental and mobility solutions. It operates major brands like Avis Car Rental, Budget Rent a Car, Budget Truck Rental, Zipcar (car-sharing), and others such as Payless, Apex, and regional names like Maggiore. The company serves business and leisure customers through about 10,000-11,000 locations in 180+ countries, with a fleet of roughly 540,000 vehicles.
Avis is another company that has used prison labor in the past, but recent indications suggest that they might have terminated the practice. According to the Malta Justice Initiative, a website focused on reducing prison recidivism, Avis employed incarcerated individuals to handle reservations, compensating them at rates as low as $0.90 per hour. There has been no documented evidence whether they have continued to do so post-2010, but also none that has confirmed that they have stopped, so it’s not clear if Avis actually lived up to their old “we try harder” slogan.
COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
International Dairy Queen Inc.
Abbot Troy Bader, CEO
8000 Tower, Suite 700, 8331 Norman Center Drive
Bloomington, MN 55437
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ), licenses, services, and develops more than 6,900 stores in more than 25 countries under the brand names Dairy Queen, DQ Grill & Chill, and Orange Julius. Approximately 4,500 of the units are located in the United States. Besides selling the famous Dairy Queen ice cream desserts, many of the stores also offer hamburgers, chicken, hot dogs, fries, and a variety of beverages. Some subsidiaries provide table service and a wider menu. Since 1998 International Dairy Queen has been a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's holding company Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
We could locate no public evidence of forced labor findings involving IDQ, or supplier‑specific allegations, or international forced labor investigations.
However, no standalone, detailed, Dairy Queen‑branded human rights or modern slavery report could be found that spells out its stance on prison, forced, or child labor, or a supplier code of conduct clearly attributed to IDQ. Some human rights policies found belonged to other dairy or manufacturing firms, but not Dairy Queen.
As we've seen with some of our previously targeted companies, recent large‑scale investigations into corporate use of incarcerated workers have named fast‑food brands like McDonald’s, Burger King, and others as purchasers of prison labor in Alabama, but Dairy Queen did not appear in the lists or examples found.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
Let's send another letter to COSTCO, a company that says it does not use any prison or forced labor itself and prohibits it in its supply chain. And there is some evidence to support this. You can use this link to see the short template (at the bottom) for this letter and go here to see the original info for this company.
Week 14
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.
#1. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
J.C. Penney
Marc N. Rosen, CEO
6501 Legacy Drive
Plano, TX 75024
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
J. C. Penney is a major American department store chain founded in 1902 by James Cash Penney. After a 2020 bankruptcy and then a merger in 2025, the company was combined as part of Catalyst Brands. The combined company includes Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, and Nautica.
Although previously named as using Tennessee prison labor to make jeans, we can find no evidence that J.C. Penney currently uses prison labor. The company explicitly denies ever using prison labor and, like many, maintains a zero-tolerance policy against it.
In June 2020, J.C. Penney issued a formal statement clarifying that after a thorough internal investigation going back decades, they found no evidence of using prison labor in any area of their business including their supply chain in accordance with their Standard of Business Ethics, Supplier Principles, and a Statement on the California Transparency in Supply Chain Act. They stated the company is "not now, and has never been" involved in such practices. They claim the source of confusion likely stems from the fact that Tennessee state prisons did historically manufacture jeans sold to major retailers, and J.C. Penney was frequently cited in older reports (pre-2010) alongside Kmart as a buyer of these goods. However, the company claims it has long since severed any such ties. The specific prison industry programs that produced these goods have faced significant legal and legislative challenges in Tennessee. While prison-made jeans (such as the "Prison Blues" brand from Oregon) are still sold in the U.S., they are not sold by J.C. Penney.
J.C. Penney’s current supplier auditing process for labor compliance is a risk-based, multi-layered system that combines mandatory third-party social audits, annual risk assessments, and strict remediation protocols. The program is managed internally by J.C. Penney’s Responsible Sourcing team and executed in partnership with ELEVATE, a leading global provider of responsible sourcing services.
So for your letters, you can ask this company to live up to its publicly-stated anti-prison labor policies and pledge not to use detention camp labor too.
#2. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Wadley Holdings, LLC
Kenneth Harbaugh, CEO of Southern Sales and Marketing
1334 Southgate Drive
Villa Rica, GA 30180
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Meadowcraft brand outdoor furniture is owned by Wadley Holdings, LLC., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southern Sales and Marketing Group, Inc. of Georgia. Wadley is located in Wadley, Alabama. The company sells outdoor furniture and cushions to specialty and furniture stores, commercial entities, and mass merchants like Home Depot and Walmart.
Wadley Holdings has used incarcerated workers through Alabama’s work‑release program, as documented in a two year investigation by the Associated Press.
Public reporting so far ties Wadley Holdings to that broader system of Alabama prison labor rather than to a separate, high‑profile individual lawsuit solely against Wadley Holdings. And there’s no link to Wadley Holdings' parent company, Southern Sales and Marketing Group, Inc. of Georgia, as a named participant or defendant in the lawsuit.
So for your letter, be sure to say you are focused on Wadley Holdings for the request to pledge not to use detention camp labor.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
Let's send another letter to Costco. We wrote to them at the end of January, so it's time to send a reminder! You can see the corporate information at this link. If you joined this team after then, you can write a first letter to them!
Week 15
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.
#1. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen
Joshua Kobza, CEO
5707 Blue Lagoon Drive
Miami, FL 33126
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. is an American multinational chain of fried chicken restaurants founded in 1972 in New Orleans and headquartered in Miami. It is currently a subsidiary of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International (RBI), one of the world's largest fast-food restaurant companies. As of 2021, Popeyes has 3,705 restaurants located in more than 46 states and 30 countries worldwide.
Popeyes has been linked to both prison labor and illegal child labor through franchise practices and broader corporate arrangements, despite its parent company’s formal ban on forced labor.
Research reports have found that incarcerated people in Alabama and Mississippi were “leased” out to work at fast‑food chains including Popeyes and Burger King, under conditions described as coerced and paid below legal wages.
Reporting based on interviews with women in Mississippi “restitution centers” (debtors’ prison–like facilities called halfway houses) found they were required to work at Popeyes and other chains to pay off court debts, with the threat of being returned to harsher prison conditions if they refused.
Federal regulators fined Popeyes franchisees in California in 2024 and required them to pay back wages and penalties over child labor and wage violations, including hiring children as young as 13 and having minors work longer hours than legally allowed.
So for your letter, be sure to say you are disappointed (disgusted?) that they use prison and illegally use child labor despite their supposed ban on forced and child labor and that you demand they pledge not to use detention camp labor. Otherwise you will stop going to their food outlets.
#2. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Target Corporation
Michael Fiddelke, CEO
1000 Nicollet Mall,
Minneapolis, MN 55403
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Target Corporation is a retailer of general merchandise and food products. There is no evidence Target has ever directly employed incarcerated workers in stores, warehouses, or other company-run facilities.
Target’s official supplier policies explicitly prohibit the use of prison labor, classifying it as a "zero tolerance violation.” However, Target has sold products like eggs from suppliers such as Hickman's Family Farms which have used prison labor. But Target currently sells eggs under their own brand “Good and Gather” and since these eggs are private label and it is unclear if Good and Gather sources their eggs from farms that use prison labor. Large scale egg producers are notorious in their use of prison labor.
Target sells roughly 75,000–100,000 products across its stores. The 2024 Associated Press article found prison labor woven into supply chains involving nearly the entire U.S. Food Industry. A retailer at Target’s scale would have to audit thousands of suppliers and sub-suppliers to genuinely enforce such a policy. We have not found whether or not they perform such rigorous audits.
Like many companies, Target does have a forced labor policy which states that Target is “committed to working with supply chain partners and industry experts to prevent, identify and eradicate forced labor in our global manufacturing supply chains.”
A public pledge against detention camp labor, which is illegal, can create real accountability and perhaps also provide some good PR for Target.
So for your letter, be sure to say you are a Target shopper (if that's true), and given Target’s previous relationship with companies such as Hickman’s Family Farms you would like to be reassured that the company will follow their own policy statement regarding forced, or illegal, labor. By signing the pledge they would ensure you are more likely to shop at Target.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
Let's send another letter to Burger King. We wrote to them in early February, so it's time to send a reminder! You can see the corporate information at this link. If you joined this team after then, you can write a first letter to them!
Week 16
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.
#1. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Lowe’s Companies Inc.
Marvin Ellison, CEO
1000 Lowes Blvd
Mooresville, NC 28117
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Lowes is the second-largest hardware and home improvement chain in the United States, operating 1,759 home improvement and hardware stores in 49 states across North America.
Lowe’s was identified in AP's investigation as a downstream beneficiary of the prison labor system through its suppliers, with no public statement or announced corrective action found in available reporting.
Like many companies, Lowe's has a written prohibition on prison labor in its Vendor Code of Conduct, which states that all work must be voluntary and that workers must be free to leave employment, and vendors may not require workers to surrender government-issued identification, passports, or work permits as a condition of employment. It also has a Human Right's Policy that strictly prohibits forced, bonded, indentured, compulsory, or exploitative prison, trafficked, or slave labor are stated to under a zero-tolerance policy. Lowe's says it reserves the right to terminate business relationships with any vendor found in violation.
Lowe's incorporates a California Transparency in Supply Chains Act to prohibit the use of child labor, slavery and human trafficking by their vendors.
The U.S. Department of Labor flags wood products sourced from certain high-risk countries as an area of concern. Lowe's has a Wood Sourcing Policy dating to 2000 and has set a goal that by 2025, 100% of its wood products will be purchased from a responsible source - either certified or from a controlled source. We are not able to verify whether that goal has been met.
So for your letter: If you shop at Lowe's, you should tell them that, and that if they do not take the pledge you will be likely to no longer shop in their stores.
#2. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Nike, Inc.
Elliott Hill, President and CEO
Mark Parker (Executive Chairman of the Board) *See below
One Bowerman Dr.
Beaverton, OR 97005
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Shortly after the January 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Nike was one of several companies to announce that it would not support any member of Congress who voted to decertify the Electoral College results. Popular Information identified Nike as one of only 10 companies that had not broken their pledge to stop donating to those members.
But there always seems to be a catch. A 2022 Politico report reveals that lobbyists for Nike and other companies sidestepped corporate bans by making personal donations on behalf of companies without being officially affiliated with them in campaign filings. Stating that Nike has never gotten funding to these candidates is a murky proposition at best.
More controversial is Nike’s response to the issue of forced labor within their supply chain involving the Uyghur people in East Turkestan, an area designated by the Chinese government as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Nike sits at the center of a difficult triangle: it has significant manufacturing relationships in China, faces legal and reputational pressure in the West to demonstrate clean supply chains, and simultaneously risks commercial backlash in China when it publicly distances itself from Xinjiang. Nike has publicly stated that it has been "conducting ongoing diligence with our suppliers in China to identify and assess potential risks related to employment of people from" Xinjiang."
Despite this stance, Nike was among major companies lobbying Congress to weaken the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act — a bill that would ban imported goods made with forced labor in Xinjiang. Nike's lobbyists argued that while they strongly condemn forced labor, the act's ambitious requirements could wreak havoc on supply chains deeply embedded in China.
So for your letter, be sure to say you buy Nike products (if that's true), but you are deeply concerned by their practices of forced labor and low pay in China. However, by signing the pledge not to use detention camp labor in this country they would ensure you continue to buy their products.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY - TODAY WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS
* 1. You can also write to Nike's Executive Chairman of the Board. This would be the identical letter (except the name on the address and salutation) to the same address that you wrote to the CEO.
2. And/or you can send a second letter to McDonald's. You can see the original information at this link at Week 2.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (4 letters) every week!
Week 17
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, check out the generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
3. 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.
4. 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.
#1. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Mick Beekhuizen, President & CEO
The Campbell’s Company
One Campbell Place
Camden, NJ 08103
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Campbell’s Company is a U.S. food and beverage company founded in 1869 and headquartered in Camden, New Jersey. It is known for soups and also makes meals, snacks, beverages, and other packaged foods under brands like Campbell’s, Pepperidge Farm, Goldfish, and V8.
Campbell’s is another company that has released an extensive amount of documentation of their stances on corporate ethics and responsibility. This includes their Coerced Labor in Supply Chains Statement (updated July 2025) and a Human Rights Policy that explicitly prohibits child labor and forced labor in supplier operations and supply chains.
The Human Rights Policy states the company will maintain a Supplier Code of Conduct that requires suppliers to prohibit child, forced or prison labor in their operations or supply chains. The company reported that 100% of buyers globally received training on recognizing forced labor and human trafficking signs in 2019. Their score was decreased in maintaining evolving good practices and reassessment, so it should be noted that the company since seems to have done a full update of all policies in 2025.
The Coerced Labor Statement defines 'coerced labor' broadly to include forced labor, child labor, indentured servitude, sex trafficking, and workplace abuse. but does not specifically name detention camp labor or labor by detained individuals beyond these general categories. The statement outlines due-diligence screening, supplier audits, anonymous reporting via an Integrity Hotline, and remediation procedures.
The most clearly documented instance of the use of prison labor with the Campbell supply chain is their relationship with Dickinson Frozen Foods. Dickinson uses prison labor to package potatoes that are later distributed to household food brands including Pillsbury and Campbell Soup. Campbell's own Supplier Code of Conduct explicitly prohibits coerced labor and commits to auditing suppliers for forced labor indicators. Yet Dickinson, a documented user of prison labor in conditions that meet several ILO forced labor criteria and a facility with a serial history of serious safety violations affecting a captive workforce, sits in Campbell's supply chain.
We cannot find any public record of Campbell's having audited Dickinson for labor conditions, suspended the relationship, or even publicly acknowledged the connection when it became widely reported after 2021.
So, for your letter you can mention that their Coerced Labor Statement includes some categories of labor, but not detention cap labor, and that you expect them to revise it to ensure that detainees - some who are in this country quite legally - be protected.
#2. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
John Furner, President and CEO
Walmart, Inc.
1 Customer Drive, Bentonville, AR 72716.
Bentonville, AR 72716
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Walmart, Inc. is the world's largest retailer and one of the largest companies by revenue. Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, it operates a massive network of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores across the United States under the Walmart banner, as well as internationally through subsidiaries like Walmart Canada, Walmart Mexico (Walmex), and others. The company also owns Sam's Club, a membership-based warehouse retail chain.
Walmart's Standards for Suppliers and corporate Forced Labor Policy explicitly prohibit involuntary labor including involuntary prison labor, forced, coerced, bonded, trafficked, exploited, and indentured labor from its own operations and supply chain. The policy requires suppliers to cascade these standards throughout their supply chains. Walmart has publicly stated its supplier standards strictly prohibit involuntary prison labor (per PolitiFact June 2020) but acknowledged some suppliers use voluntary inmate labor. A 2023 AFSC assessment noted the code does not explicitly bar voluntary prison labor arrangements. The policy covers child labor and human trafficking but does not address voluntary prison labor programs.
In 2020, the company stated that it would review its policy of prison labor in its supply chain. As a result, they softened their prohibition standards. Earlier Walmart supplier language was more strict, stating that “forced or prison labor will not be tolerated” and that vendors could not use prison labor in manufacturing or related relationships. The newer policy language appears to have shifted toward banning forced labor specifically, while leaving room for voluntary prison labor under some conditions.
Walmart says it rejects involuntary prison labor, but public evidence does not show a robust, independently confirmed system for determining whether supplier prison labor is genuinely voluntary. That means its current approach appears partly self-reported and only modestly verifiable, not airtight. Walmart claims that prison workers are paid “prevailing wages” without really defining that.
One area in which Wal-Mart has profited through the use of prison labor is in ‘de-manufacturing.’ That term refers to the disposal of millions of dollars’ worth of customer returns, buy-backs, over-stocks, shelf-pulls, etc. that all large retailers must contend with. Prisoners complained of abusive supervisors, difficult working conditions and substandard medical care. "Complaints about these conditions often brought threats of retaliation, incident reports that could lead to loss of privileges such as commissary and phone calls, and possible loss of 'good time' credits that reduce a prisoner’s sentence for good behavior."
In short, Walmart’s pattern of handling contentious issues seems to be to make bold ethical statements and then either ignore them or rewrite them to incorporate loopholes.
So for your letter, you could say that we've seen that Walmart makes bold statements about its ethical practices, but then ignores or rewrites them with loopholes effectively removing the standards.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY - TODAY WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS
* 1. For Walmart, you can also write to Greg Penner, Chairman of the Board, with the same latter that you send to the CEO.
2. You can also write a second letter to Applebee's. Find the original information at this link. It's at Week 3.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (4 letters) every week!
Week 18
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 have a generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
3. 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.
4. 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.
#1. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Hillary Super, CEO
Victoria's Secret & Co.
4 Limited Parkway East
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing and beauty retailer. Founded in 1977 by Stanford graduate student Roy Raymond and his wife Gaye, the company's five lingerie stores were sold to Les Wexner in 1982. Wexner rapidly expanded into American shopping malls, expanding the company into 350 stores nationally with sales of $1 billion by the early 1990s, when Victoria's Secret became the largest lingerie retailer in the United States.
In the 1980s, Victoria's Secret discovered that one of its vendors, Third Generation (a common subcontractor used by multiple major retailers), had been hiring prison inmates for the production of some of its apparel. The company ended its relationship with Third Generation immediately upon learning of this. Victoria's Secret states that since that incident it has not had any instances of supply chain partners using inmate labor.
Victoria's Secret is among large companies that also have or had products produced with prison labor in their supply chains, typically through subcontractors' use of incarcerated individuals' work via a program called the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program, which allows private companies to contract with state governments to hire incarcerated workers.
Many companies end such involvement in prison labor once it is exposed and that has been the case with Victoria's Secret, though they still appear on online prison labor "blacklists."
Victoria's Secret today states that across its operations and supply chain it prohibits the use of forced, prison, indentured, bonded, and slave labor, as well as labor obtained through human trafficking. The company says it conducts traceability audits annually, performs risk assessments, and has a corrective action and remediation program in place.
If a supplier or factory is found to be non-compliant — particularly regarding forced or child labor — a corrective action plan must be submitted within 30 days, with full remediation expected within 90 days.
So, for your letter you can thank Victoria's Secret for quickly ending their use of prison and forced labor and ask them to confirm that they will not use detention camp labor either.
#2. - COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Progressive Finishes Inc.
David Davis, President
501 Industrial Road
Alabaster, AL 35007
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Progressive Finishes operates a 250,000+ square foot facility in Alabaster Alabama to provide electrocoating and powder coating services to manufacturers in automotive, agricultural, recreational vehicle and water works industries. They are the largest custom E-Coat and Powder Coating facility in the Southeast; a privately owned company with estimated annual sales of around $12 million.
The Associated Press December 2024 investigation identified Progressive Finishes as one of Alabama's biggest prison labor contractors and reported that the company previously listed Toyota, Honda, GM, Ford, Nissan, Kia, Volvo, Chrysler, and Hyundai as third-party automotive supplier customers on its website (that customer list has since been removed). Although nearly all automotive manufacturers have corporate policy statements against using forced or slave labor, and require their third-party suppliers to adhere to that policy, Progressive has no policy statement.
As you know, legal prison labor, regulated by applicable laws and oversight, exists within a defined framework. Detention camp labor, by contrast, often uses forced labor under arbitrary and abusive conditions outside legitimate legal norms.
So for your letter, you could tell the company that by signing the pledge, Progressive could demonstrate they respect the line drawn between legal prison labor and illegal detention camp labor. They could be a leader in the automotive third-party supplier industry by making a clear policy statement against the use of detention camp labor.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY - TODAY WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS
* 1. You can also write a second letter to T-Mobile. You'll find the original information at this link. It's at Week 3.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (up to 4 letters) every week!
Week 19
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 have a generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
3. 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.
4. 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.
But this week, we have a different tactic. For Toyota, we're writing to three of their subsidiaries. They all have different supplier issues and potential for forced labor.
THE 3 COMPANIES' NAMES, CONTACT INFO:
1. Toyota Motor North America
Tetsuo Ogawa, CEO
6565 Headquarters Drive,
Plano, TX 75024.
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) is the regional operating subsidiary overseeing all of Toyota's U.S., Canadian, and Mexican operations. TMNA manages the North American supplier relationships and purchasing decisions, where ICE detention labor would most likely enter the supply chain.
2. Toyota Tsusho America, Inc.
Takashi Hirobe, President & CEO
825 Third Ave., 10th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Toyota Tsusho America (TTA) is Toyota's North American procurement, logistics, and supply chain management arm. With 9,000+ employees and thousands of vendor relationships, TTA physically handles the materials and components that flow into Toyota's assembly plants — the operational layer closest to where labor abuses at lower supply chain tiers would be hardest to detect.
3. Toyota Motor North America Government Affairs Office
Stephen Ciccone, Group Vice President of Government Affairs
325 7th Street NW, Suite 1000
Washington, D.C. 20004
Toyota Motor North America's federal lobbying and regulatory affairs office, headed by Stephen Ciccone, manages Toyota's relationships with Congress and federal agencies. The office most sensitive to legislative risk and reputational exposure in the current political environment around ICE detention and forced labor.
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Toyota Motor Corporation is a premier global automotive manufacturer, consistently ranking as the world's top-selling automaker. Operating over 14 manufacturing plants and employing more than 380,000 workers worldwide, the company generated over $330 billion in net revenue for the most recent fiscal year.
Toyota anchors its public identity and corporate culture on "The Toyota Way," a philosophy defined by two core pillars: Continuous Improvement (Kaizen) and Respect for People. Because its immense global market footprint and brand value rely heavily on this ethical reputation, Toyota is uniquely positioned to serve as an industry trendsetter by proactively securing its supply chain against exploitative labor practices.
There are no reported instances of Toyota using prison labor in the U.S. However, third party auto suppliers to Toyota have been reportedly using prison labor and that we believe would be most likely to pivot to using immigration detention camp labor where available.
Third-party automotive suppliers are highly vulnerable to exploitative labor pivots. An extensive investigation by The Associated Press exposed how deeply the automotive supply chain relies on cheap incarcerated labor. Specifically, Progressive Finishes, who you wrote to last week, was identified as a major prison labor contractor that listed Toyota on its website as an automotive client. While they quietly scrubbed client names following public backlash, suppliers operating under these frameworks are the most likely candidates to pivot to immigration detention camp labor if it becomes a commercially available, low-cost option.
Brand Leverage: Toyota anchors its public identity on its official global Human Rights Policy Framework, which heavily emphasizes "Respect for People." Because their public image relies strictly on ethical goodwill, they are uniquely sensitive to public pressure regarding human rights and supply chain transparency.
Brand Erosion: If Toyota's third-party suppliers exploit immigration detention camp labor, the company faces immediate, severe reputational damage. Unfair labor tracking by watchdogs like Human Rights Watch views detention camp labor as a form of human trafficking. This exposure would trigger widespread consumer boycotts, heavily damaging Toyota's carefully cultivated image of corporate responsibility across critical Western markets.
Capital Divestment and ESG Risk: Modern institutional investors rely heavily on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics to allocate capital. Academic and market research by firms like MSCI ESG Research confirms that human rights violations within a supply chain lead to immediate ESG downgrades. Large asset management funds are increasingly mandated to divest from companies flagged for forced labor risks, meaning a detention labor scandal could trigger a massive sell-off of Toyota stock, driving down share value and limiting corporate access to capital markets.
Strategic Preemption: Major automotive supply chains are currently facing severe legal scrutiny. Advocacy organizations like Jobs to Move America have documented the regional "race to the bottom" that occurs when manufacturers exploit captive workforces to suppress market wages. Securing a preventive pledge from a massive market leader like Toyota blocks a critical pathway for detention labor before it can establish a foothold in the U.S. automotive sector.
So, for your letter you can remind each subsidiary that there are risks they would face if they use detention camp labor and you can use a couple of the points below as appropriate for each letter:
Consumer Power: Explicitly state that you are an automotive consumer and that Toyota's stance on this human rights issue will directly impact your future vehicle purchasing choices.
Corporate Values: Remind the CEO that "Respect for People" is a foundational pillar of "The Toyota Way."
Supplier Risk: Note that third-party suppliers (like Progressive Finishes in Alabama) have already caused bad press for Toyota by using exploitative prison labor.
Prevent Future Crisis: Ask Toyota to draw a firm line and prevent suppliers from pivoting to immigration detention labor if it becomes an option.
Illegal Framework: Emphasize that immigration detention labor is an illegal practice that amounts to forced labor and human trafficking.
Brand Reputation: Warn that any ties to detention labor will cause severe damage to Toyota’s brand value and spark consumer boycotts.
Financial Impact: Point out that major investment funds will quickly sell off Toyota stock if the company is hit with a forced labor scandal.
Be a Leader: Urge Toyota to protect its entire supply chain by signing a preventive pledge now, setting a clean standard for the entire auto industry.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
You can also write a second letter to BelGiosioso Cheese, Inc. You'll find the original information at this link. It's at Week 4.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (up to 4 letters) every week!
Week 20
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. We have a generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
3. 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.
4. 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.
#1. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Marc Bitzer, Chairman and CEO
Whirlpool Corporation
2000 M-63
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
For writing to the board of directors, same address as corporate one above:
Mary Ellen Adcock, Audit & Governance/Nominating Committees
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Whirlpool Corporation is an American multinational home appliance manufacturer headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Founded in 1911 as the Upton Machine Company, it is the only major U.S.-based producer of kitchen and laundry appliances and one of the largest in the world. The company designs, manufactures, and markets a broad range of home appliances — including washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, and ranges — under a portfolio of well-known brands: Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, JennAir, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2025, Whirlpool reported approximately $16 billion in annual net sales, with close to 90% generated in the Americas.
We have not found instances of Whirlpool directly profiting from prison labor. Supply chain issues are difficult to track but Whirlpool has a supplier code of conduct and states that it audits its suppliers for compliance.
Whirlpool has a substantial track record as an ethical company:
Whirlpool's Supplier Code of Conduct and Global Labor and Employment Guidelines explicitly prohibit all forms of forced labor. The Global Labor and Employment Guidelines state that Whirlpool does not accept or condone any aspect of forced labor including indentured bonded or prison labor. This Code requires that suppliers must not use any type of involuntary or forced labor including indentured bonded prison slave or human trafficked labor.
The company's Human Rights Policy states that it opposes "any type of forced or child labor." Whirlpool also complies with the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act and has published a 2024 UK Modern Slavery Act statement. These policies cover prison labor specifically by name as well as bonded labor, debt bondage, slave labor, and human trafficking.
Whirlpool also has longstanding responsible policies on environmental and climate, LGBTQ and inclusion, disability inclusion, women in the workplace and racial equity, and more. Whirlpool also supports Habitat for Humanity with monetary donations and kitchen appliance donations for the new houses.
So, for your letter you can thank Whirlpool for its ethical policies and ask it to confirm them by making a pledge not to use detention camp labor.
#2. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Mike Hancock, CEO
Firehouse Subs
12735 Gran Bay Parkway Suite 150
Jacksonville, FL 32258
For writing to the Board of Directors, same address as the corporate one above:
Don Fox – Chairman of Firehouse Subs
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Firehouse Subs is a fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 1994 in Jacksonville FL by former firefighter brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen. It specializes in hot specialty submarine sandwiches with steamed meats and cheeses on toasted sub rolls. The company is known for firefighter-themed decor and the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation supporting first responders. The company operates over 1,200 locations across 46 U.S. states plus Puerto Rico and select international markets.
Firehouse Subs is part of Restaurant Brands International (RBI) chain of restaurants.
According to our research, RBI uses prison labor at its branded restaurants and has prison labor in its supply chain. Firehouse Subs is not explicitly listed in these reports, including the AP Research report on prison labor although other RBI brands are, according to reporting.
We could not find any standalone public statement by Firehouse Subs specifically addressing prison, slave or detention camp labor. Parent company RBI addresses forced labor in its Code of Business Ethics and Conduct for Vendors. It states zero tolerance for involuntary labour of any kind and will terminate relationships with any vendor using involuntary labour or purchasing from subcontractors who use involuntary labour. However, this Code does not appear to include Firehouse Subs. Therefore, we cannot confirm whether Firehouse Subs uses prison labor.
In its 2025 Modern Slavery Act Report, in which RBI states that RBI specifically states that "the entities owning and franchising the Burger King®, Popeyes® and Firehouse Subs® brands are not included in this joint report."
So for your letter, you can ask Firehouse Subs to pledge not to use detention camp labor.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
You can also write a second letter to Cargill. You'll find the original information at this link. It's at Week 4.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (up to 4 letters) every week!
Week 21
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. We have a generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
3. 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.
4. 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.
#1. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
3M Company
William M. Brown, Chairman and CEO
3M Center
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000
For writing to the board of directors, using the same letter and address as the corporate one above, you can write to: David P. Bozeman
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) is an American multinational conglomerate headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1902, it manufactures tens of thousands of products across industries including consumer goods, healthcare, electronics, and industrial materials. It's best known for everyday brands like Post-it Notes, Scotch Tape, Command Strips, and ACE Bandages, but also produces industrial adhesives, safety equipment, and specialty materials.
3M is the main supplier to U.S. prison labor programs that manufacture license plates and other products requiring adhesive or light-reflecting materials, such as road signs. The company has contracted with prison labor programs in at least 14 states: Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas — and this is considered an undercount.
For example, since 2018 alone, 3M has sold $3.3 million in "materials used in the production of goods for sale or use" by New York in the state's correctional business
3M has spent millions of dollars lobbying in favor of state laws that promote the sale of prison-made license plates, pushing legislation that would require frequent and unnecessary replacements. Such laws have passed in multiple states including Alabama, Arizona, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Washington.
3M is a "Corporate Plus Member" — the highest level membership available — of the National Correctional Industries Association, a private association of prison administrators and corporations that oversees the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program. Critics note this means companies benefiting from prison labor are also responsible for monitoring their own compliance with the program's guidelines.
3M's most direct connection to immigrant detention is the electronic monitoring systems manufactured by 3M's former subsidiary Attenti, which manufactured the devices for surveilling immigrants outside of physical detention. The connection to 3M ended when 3M sold it in 2017. The biometric/border surveillance tools via 3M's previous subsidiary Cogent, also sold in 2017, is the other well-documented link. Neither product line is part of 3M's portfolio any longer, but both were part of the company for much of the 2010s.
3M has a Supplier Responsibility Code (SRC), which explicitly names and prohibits involuntary or exploitative prison labor, bonded/debt bondage labor, indentured labor, military labor, trafficked labor, and slave labor. This is one of the more specific corporate codes found — it goes beyond a generic "forced labor" prohibition to call out prison labor by name. The 2020 Modern Slavery Statement reinforces this. Despite this, the company has a substantial record of being a supplier of materials and services to facilitate the use of prison labor by others.
So, for your letter you can insist that 3M pledge to not use the labor of detainees despite its long use of prison labor and former association with making and selling monitoring devices for immigrant detainees.
#2. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Verizon Communications Inc.
Dan Schulman, CEO
1095 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
For writing to the Board of Directors, using the same letter and address as the corporate one above, you can write to Jennifer Mann
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Verizon Communications Inc. is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, providing voice, data, and video services through its wireless and wireline networks across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The company employs approximately 89,900 people and generated revenues of $138.2 billion in 2025.
Verizon appears on some poorly sourced lists of companies using prison labor. We were not able to confirm that Verizon uses prison labor at this time although apparently it may have for telecommunication services to its customers in the past.
Verizon's Supplier Code of Conduct states that suppliers will not use forced labor of any type, including bonded, indentured, or prison labor. However, this Code contains a notable carve-out: "Verizon supports efforts to help incarcerated individuals develop their skills, and suppliers may, with Verizon's written permission, participate in programs that have as a principal goal providing a benefit to incarcerated individuals." This exception creates a formal pathway through which prison-adjacent labor programs could be authorized — making a clear, unambiguous "no detainee labor" pledge all the more necessary.
A 2019 supplier worker abuse example proves that Verizon's third-party contractors generally are a locus of potential labor abuse and that the company can remain insulated from that abuse unless directly pressured.
Verizon participates in Joint Audit Cooperation (JAC) activities, which cooperatively assess and verify supplier compliance with recognized labor, social, and environmental standards, including forced labor and underage labor. In 2024, 150 supplier audits were completed, bringing the total since JAC's inception in 2010 to 1,210. Verizon also uses the third-party assessment tool EcoVadis, and since 2013 has assessed 764 key suppliers through this partnership. These are above-average efforts in the telecom sector, but independent audit systems have well-documented blind spots at sub-tier suppliers — precisely the layer where detention labor exploitation would most likely emerge.
So for your letter, you can mention that since Verizon's new CEO has publicly committed to a corporate "reboot" and the company already invests in supply chain auditing, a "no ICE detainee labor" pledge is low-cost and consistent with its stated values. Refusal, by contrast, draws attention to the prison labor carve-out in its own Supplier Code.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
You can also write a second letter to Hyundai Motor America. You'll find the original information at this link. It's at Week 5.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (up to 4 letters) every week!
Week 22
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. We have a generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
3. 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.
4. 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.
#1. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Ryan Gellert, CEO
Patagonia, Inc.
259 W. Santa Clara Street
Ventura, CA 93001
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Patagonia, Inc. is a premier American designer and retailer of outdoor clothing and gear, widely recognized as the global trailblazer for corporate environmentalism and ethical supply chains. Operating internationally with over 3,000 employees, the private company generates roughly $1 billion in annual revenue. A certified B corporation, the company donates at least 1% of sales to environmental causes annually.
In 2022, founder Yvon Chouinard transferred 100% of the company's voting stock to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and all non-voting stock to the Holdfast Collective, ensuring that every dollar of profit not reinvested back into the business is used to fight the climate crisis. Patagonia builds its entire brand identity and market value on its famous mission statement: "We’re in business to save our home planet".
The global garment and textile industry is vulnerable to modern slavery and exploitative labor pivots due to deep tiers of subcontracting. In past years, Patagonia openly discovered and self-reported(!) that some of its third-party fabric mills had unknowingly integrated forced labor and modern slavery through exploitative third-party labor brokers. While Patagonia actively worked to remediate those issues, sub-tier textile or garment manufacturing contractors remain the most likely candidates to quietly exploit immigration detention camp labor if it becomes a commercially available, low-cost domestic option.
Patagonia has a Forced Labor and Human Trafficking statement including zero-tolerance guidelines on forced labor and human trafficking and explicitly states their policy framework for unannounced audits and vendor accountability standards.
Because its customer base consists almost entirely of socially conscious, ethical consumers, we believe Patagonia has a massive commercial incentive to stay ahead of supply chain human rights issues, making them the ultimate trendsetter for a detention labor pledge.
So, for your letter you can use 2 or 3 of these points:
* Ethical Praise: You can point out that you are thrilled by Patagonia's high ethical benchmarks, specifically their remarkable B Corp Certification score of 166.0 (compared to the ordinary business average of 50.9) and their impressive leadership in utilizing Fair Trade Certified factories for over 90% of their clothing line.
* Corporate Values: Remind the CEO that all business decisions should strictly reflect the pillars of Quality, Integrity, Environmentalism, and Justice outlined in the official Patagonia Core Values Statement.
* Consumer Power: Explicitly state that you buy outdoor apparel and that Patagonia's stance on this human rights issue will directly impact your future choice to buy their products.
* Supply Chain History: Acknowledge that Patagonia has a history of fighting modern slavery, which is exactly why they should be the industry's first to draw a hard line against immigration detention labor.
* Prevent Future Crisis: Ask Patagonia to issue a proactive pledge to ensure third-party sub-contractors cannot quietly pivot to detention labor to lower fabric costs.
* Illegal Framework: Emphasize that immigration detention labor is an illegal practice that amounts to forced labor and human trafficking.
* Severe Brand Damage: Point out that any association with detention camp labor would immediately destroy Patagonia's hard-earned public trust and spark severe consumer boycotts.
* Be an Industry Leader: Urge Patagonia to sign this pledge now to continue to set a clean, ethical standard for the rest of the outdoor apparel industry to follow.
#2. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
Brian Niccol, CEO
Starbucks
P.O. Box 34067
Seattle, WA 98124-1067
For writing to the Board of Directors, using the same letter and address as the corporate one above, you can write to an of these: Ritch Allison, Andy Campion, Beth Ford. Take your pick!
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
As you know, Starbucks is a multinational coffeehouse chain and one of the world's most recognized consumer brands. The publicly traded company sells coffee beverages, smoothies, tea, baked goods, and sandwiches through its global network of company-operated and licensed stores. Its corporate statement claims: "Starbucks provides a workplace free of child or forced labor, with the right to nondiscrimination in all its forms, equal pay for equal work, just and favorable conditions of work, and health and safety for all partners." But there are significant discrepancies in these practices.
Starbucks' subcontractor, Signature Packaging Solutions, packaged Starbucks roasted coffee beans. "Signature is known to hire prisoners in Washington State for Starbucks. When their use of prison labor was reported by Seattle Weekly in 2001, inmates were earning minimum wage, but it is unclear how much, if any, of their earnings was being taken by the prison."
And then there is the Brazilian child labor and other abusive practices used to pick coffee beans. These beans are allegedly purchased by Starbucks. In January 2024, the National Consumers League filed a lawsuit alleging that Starbucks falsely and deceptively claims "100% ethical" coffee and tea sourcing, while sourcing from farms and cooperatives with a documented history of child labor, forced labor, sexual harassment, and other human rights abuses. At Brazil, Kenya, and Guatemala suppliers, investigators found instances of child labor and sexual harassment.
For years, Starbucks has dodged accusations and reports showing similar treatment of workers. Repórter Brasil issued a report that was cited in a lawsuit filed by International Rights Advocates. "It uncovered hundreds of documented cases of illegal child labor and enslaved Afro-Brazilian labor in the state of Minas Gerais. Minas Gerais produces two-thirds of all Brazilian coffee, with more than 8 million tons going directly to the coffee giant."
Brazilian authorities found that workers had been subjected to child labor in hazardous conditions, and that others had been trafficked and subjected to slavery-like conditions.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
You can also write a second letter to Chipotle Mexican Grill. You'll find the original information at this link. It's at Week 5.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (up to 4 letters) every week!
Week 23
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. We have a generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
3. 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.
4. 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.
#1. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
General Mills, Inc.
Jeff Harmening, Chairman & CEO
1 General Mills Blvd.,
Golden Valley, MN 55426
For writing to the Board of Directors, you can write to Dana McNabb, Chief Operating Officer, also at 1 General Mills Blvd., Golden Valley, MN 55426
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
As we've seen earlier, agricultural commodity supply chains are structured in ways that make it difficult for brand-level companies to detect labor violations a few layers down. It could lead to unawareness of detained immigrant labor as well.
Prison labor has appeared in General Mills’ supply chain through third-party agricultural contractors supplying commodity ingredients, including flour milled at facilities using state prison labor programs.
The two-year Associated Press investigative report we've discussed before describes that prisoners here "are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands" and specifically General Mills, through commodity inputs including flour, dairy, and eggs.
General Mills has stated that it has "existing policies in place restricting suppliers from using forced labor." However, without significant oversight, it would be nearly impossible for General Mills to know its suppliers' work practices.
The General Mills Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement describes the company’s "supply chain due diligence framework and its grievance processes for labor rights violations." It describes the "steps General Mills has taken in an effort to ensure slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in our supply chain." The company notes that it uses the 4-Pillar Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) protocol or "mutually recognized responsible sourcing audits to assess our supply chain on social and environmental practices" including "Health and Safety, Labor Standards (including audit criteria on forced labor and human trafficking), Environment, and Business Ethics."
But that's all we know at this point and we have not found any results of the audits like we have with other companies.
#2. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
The Kroger Company
Greg Foran, CEO
1014 Vine Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
For writing to the Board of Directors, you can write to Ronald L. Sargent, Chairman of the Board, also at 1014 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Here is another company at the top of the agricultural commodity supply chains. But with different outcomes. The Kroger Co. is the largest supermarket chain in the United States and the second-largest general retailer in the country after Walmart. Founded in 1883 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger operates 2,731 supermarkets across 35 states and the District of Columbia under nearly two dozen regional banner names, including Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, King Soopers, Fry's, Smith's, Dillons, Pick 'n Save, and Mariano's. It serves over 11 million customers daily.
Unlike what we found for General Mills, Kroger has been associated with at least four lawsuits into significant human trafficking allegations, including the indictment for the largest human trafficking operation in history. In addition, "At least three other Kroger suppliers also have been accused of profiting from human trafficking and systemic wage theft since October 2021. One case has led to multiple criminal convictions; another involves more than $200,000 in fines and penalties for wage theft" for a total of four forced labor and human trafficking operations that Kroger is linked to. It also has been cited for federal child labor violations in its own stores, has faced class-action wage theft lawsuits from its own employees in five states.
Like other companies, Kroger has a Human Rights policy and a Vendor Code of Conduct.
Because Kroger is America's dominant supermarket company - selling to tens of millions of households - any use of ICE detention labor within its produce supply chains, or otherwise would represent a very large human rights failure at the very heart of American food retail.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
You can also write a second letter to American Airlines. You'll find the original information at this link. It's at Week 6.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (up to 4 letters) every week!
Week 24
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. We have a generic letter for you to use if you want, at the end of the template document linked in Step 1.
3. 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.
4. 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.
#1. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
The Wendy's Company
Robert D. Wright, President & CEO
One Dave Thomas Blvd.
Dublin, OH 43017
For writing to the Board of Directors, you can write to Arthur B. Winkleblack, Chairman of the Board, at the same address as above.
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Wendy's Company is the world's third-largest quick-service hamburger chain, founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas. The company operates and franchises approximately 6,500 restaurants across the United States and 30 countries internationally. With system-wide sales exceeding $14 billion, Wendy's serves millions of customers daily through a nearly entirely franchised model in which the vast majority of locations are operated by independent franchise owners.
This franchise structure is central to understanding Wendy's labor compliance history: labor law violations and supply chain abuses that occur at the franchisee or supplier level are facilitated — and in the view of regulators, advocates, and shareholders — and enabled by Wendy's corporate decisions about oversight, purchasing, and certification.
Wendy's Supplier Code of Conduct states: "Employment only of individuals whose presence in the workplace is voluntary. [T]here should be no utilization of or engagement with factories or production facilities that force work to be performed by unpaid or indentured laborers, or those who must otherwise work against their will."
Wendy's prohibitions arguably should cover ICE detention labor. However, Wendy's has never explicitly stated this publicly, and its supply chain monitoring relies on self-reported audits and Wendy's own Quality Assurance inspectors — not independent worker-driven verification.
The most extensively documented supply chain scandal directly linked to Wendy's involves its former Mexican tomato supplier Bioparques de Occidente, one of the largest tomato operations in Mexico. The tomatoes Wendy's used from Bioparques were distributed through the U.S. arm Kaliroy Corporation. In 2013 Mexican authorities raided Bioparques and freed 275 workers from forced labor. The workers described conditions including being trapped for months without pay in scorpion-infested labor camps without beds, being fed scraps, and being beaten when they tried to quit.
The Fair Food Program (FFP), launched in 2011, was joined within a few years by every major fast-food corporation in America — except Wendy's. In 2015, Harper's Magazine reported more abuses by Wendy's supply chain connection to Kaliroy/Bioparques, after which Wendy's shifted its purchases away from Florida farms that were part of this FFP program to Mexico, where Bioparques and similarly unmonitored farms operated. Since then Wendy's has moved most of its tomato purchasing back to the U.S. but it still refuses to join FFP.
The following cases show a pattern of child labor violations within the Wendy's system that the company has failed to prevent through its inadequate franchise oversight systems:
* The U.S. Department of Labor found child labor violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act at all 53 Wendy's restaurants operated by WM Limited Partnership-1998, a Grand Rapids, Michigan franchisee. The franchisee paid $258,249 in civil money penalties — then the largest child labor penalty assessed against a single Wendy's franchisee.
* Manna Inc., a Wendy's franchisee, was fined $157,000 after the Department of Labor found that hundreds of minors were working outside of legally approved hours at Manna-operated Wendy's locations across nine states.
* In January 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry announced a $300,000 fine against GCWen Management, operating 21 Wendy's locations in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester Counties for violations of the Pennsylvania Child Labor Act, including failure to provide legally required breaks, excessive working hours and more.
According to the Good Jobs First Violation Tracker, Wendy's itself has accumulated $6.3 million in regulatory penalties since 2000 across 25 violation records. This does not include the penalties assessed against independent Wendy's franchisees noted above.
In your letter you can point out the long list of fines and penalties Wendy's and it's franchisees have sustained due to Wendy's lax oversight and failure to join FFP and treat employees properly. Then include that they must pledge the company will not continue this bad corporate behavior by incorporating immigrant detainee labor into any of its supply chain.
#2. COMPANY NAME, CONTACT INFO:
David M. Foulkes, Chairman & CEO
Brunswick Corportaion
26125 N. Riverwoods Blvd.,
Mettawa, IL 60045
For writing to the Board of Directors, you can write to Christopher F. Dekker, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, at the same address as above.
COMPANY BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Brunswick Corporation is one of the world’s largest and most recognized marine recreation companies with approximately 14,500 employees operating across 26 countries and annual revenues exceeding $5 billion. Brunswick designs, manufactures, and markets a portfolio of leading consumer and commercial marine brands including Mercury Marine, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray, among several others.
This company profile is a bit different than our others in this project. In 2021 Brunswick acquired SemahTronix, a company that operates a manufacturing facility inside the Arkansas Department of Corrections McPherson Unit - a women’s prison in Newport, Arkansas - where incarcerated women produce electrical wiring harnesses and cable assemblies for marine, defense, and commercial customers.
Inmates working for SemahTronix earned approximately Arkansas minimum wage ($10–10.21 per hour). However, the Arkansas Department of Corrections deducts approximately 63% of that pay to cover ‘room and board,’ taxes, family support, and victims’ programs. After deductions, workers took home less than $5 an hour for precision manufacturing work, producing products sold under Brunswick’s brand portfolio.
Brunswick has since published Modern Slavery Statements, a Supplier Code of Conduct, and its Integrity Playbook that explicitly prohibit ‘forced, bonded, or indentured labor’ in its operations and supply chain. Yet the SemahTronix prison manufacturing operation continues to function as a Brunswick subsidiary, creating a direct and documented contradiction between the company’s stated values and its operational reality.
A company that has already embedded prison labor into its manufacturing model through a subsidiary is precisely the company most likely to consider detained immigrant labor as an operational option if it becomes commercially available. We need to ask them that given their prison labor relationship, that they pledge not to use the labor of immigrant detainees.
SECOND LETTER TO A COMPANY
You can also write a second letter to BWH Hotels. You'll find the original information at this link. It's at Week 6.
Let me know in the comments what you think about doing this (up to 4 letters) every week!