Huffy bikes: Chinese factory exposed

This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:

http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm

19 hour work days. Illegal fines. Mandatory uncompensated overtime. No labor representation. Sound
like something you want to support?

As this article points out, the ~25 cents per hour that workers make producing Huffy bikes is a
slave wage. They can't live on it, or raise families or lead normal lives. They can only exist to
serve the factory, and that's just about all they do. These poor workers are being exploited
terribly so we can have cheap bikes to ride around the suburbs or campus and toss in the trash when
they break in a year or two.

When you buy a Huffy, you're saying "it's OK to exploit Chinese workers and put thousands of US
workers out of their jobs."

-Barry

 

The last thing in the world I want to do is sound like an apologist for Huffy, but...

This is a problem not restricted to the bicycle industry.

Have you opened up your computer and noticed how many "made in China" components and subassemblies
are in there? Chances are good you're using a CD-ROM that's made by workers in similar plants,
perhaps not quite as bad, but where does one draw the line? Many low-cost modems & routers are now
made in China as well.

It's worthwhile to point out that cheap bikes carry a cost beyond their retail price, of course,
but society at large is dependent upon exploiting whatever the latest dirt-cheap labor force is.
The irony is that we put domestic workers on the streets in order to make things cheaper for
them to buy.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:
>
> http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm
>
> 19 hour work days. Illegal fines. Mandatory uncompensated overtime. No labor representation. Sound
> like something you want to support?
>
> As this article points out, the ~25 cents per hour that workers make producing Huffy bikes is a
> slave wage. They can't live on it, or raise families or lead normal lives. They can only exist to
> serve the factory, and that's just about all they do. These poor workers are being exploited
> terribly so we can have cheap bikes to ride around the suburbs or campus
and
> toss in the trash when they break in a year or two.
>
> When you buy a Huffy, you're saying "it's OK to exploit Chinese workers
and
> put thousands of US workers out of their jobs."
>
> -Barry

 

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The last thing in the world I want to do is sound like an apologist for Huffy, but...
>
> This is a problem not restricted to the bicycle industry.

I completely agree; but that is WOT... You're not an apologist for Huffy. Just because one
company does something heinous doesn't make it right when they all do it (though that is the kind of
thinking that is handed to US consumers: "Oh well! Everybody's doing it!")

> It's worthwhile to point out that cheap bikes carry a cost beyond their
> retail price, of course, but society at large is dependent upon exploiting
> whatever the latest dirt-cheap labor force is. The irony is that we put
> domestic workers on the streets in order to make things cheaper for them
to
> buy.

That's not irony. That is tragedy.

-Barry

 

I wouldn't buy a bicycle (especially a cheapo brand like Huffy) at a Wal-Mart anyway.

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

 

"B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:
>
> http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm
>
(...)

Depressing, though hardly surprising. Half the sh*t in Walmart is from China and is probably made
under similar conditions. To take the line from FightClub - People working jobs they hate, so they
can buy stuff they don't need. I hate Walmart.

Just the way things are going. There's a lot people on this overcrowded planet, many of them living
in desparate circumstances. Probably quite a few of those people are just happy to have a job, even
if it's terrible.

-Eric B

 

"eric bazan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:
> >
> > http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm
> >
> (...)
>
> Depressing, though hardly surprising. Half the sh*t in Walmart is from China and is probably made
> under similar conditions. To take the line from FightClub - People working jobs they hate, so they
> can buy stuff they don't need. I hate Walmart.
>
> Just the way things are going. There's a lot people on this overcrowded planet, many of them
> living in desparate circumstances. Probably quite a few of those people are just happy to have a
> job, even if it's terrible.

Well said, Eric. I agree.

-Barry

 

"B. Sanders" wrote:
>
> This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:
>
> http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm
>
> 19 hour work days. Illegal fines. Mandatory uncompensated overtime. No labor representation. Sound
> like something you want to support?

How many other items in a typical Wal-Mart are made in similar conditions?

Barry

 

"eric bazan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:
> >
> > http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm
> >
> (...)
>
> Depressing, though hardly surprising. Half the sh*t in Walmart is from China and is probably made
> under similar conditions. To take the line from FightClub - People working jobs they hate, so they
> can buy stuff they don't need. I hate Walmart.
>
> Just the way things are going. There's a lot people on this overcrowded planet, many of them
> living in desparate circumstances. Probably quite a few of those people are just happy to have a
> job, even if it's terrible.
>
> -Eric B

Yet WalMart still claims to support American manufacturers. I also hate WalMart. Nothing but cheap
Chinese junk. I'll never get over seeing Schwinns in the WalMart bike department. Let's just hope
Cannondale doesn't go the same way.

 

Cannondale probably won't go the Wal-Mart way, most of their customers probably haven't seen
anything of that quality, they would think it was a cheap off brand. They've seen Huffy and Schwinn
names all their life and are easily fooled by the advertising hype, knowing nothing about bikes.

Most would have trouble pronouncing Cannondale.

"Slider2699" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "eric bazan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > "B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > > This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:
> > >
> > > http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm
> > >
> > (...)
> >
> > Depressing, though hardly surprising. Half the sh*t in Walmart is from China and is probably
> > made under similar conditions. To take the line from FightClub - People working jobs they hate,
> > so they can buy stuff they don't need. I hate Walmart.
> >
> > Just the way things are going. There's a lot people on this overcrowded planet, many of them
> > living in desparate circumstances. Probably quite a few of those people are just happy to have a
> > job, even if it's terrible.
> >
> > -Eric B
>
> Yet WalMart still claims to support American manufacturers. I also hate WalMart. Nothing but cheap
> Chinese junk. I'll never get over seeing
Schwinns
> in the WalMart bike department. Let's just hope Cannondale doesn't go the same way.

 

On Mon, 21 Apr 2003 10:56:22 GMT in rec.bicycles.misc, "B a r r y B u r k e J r ." <"keep it in the
newsgroup "@thankyou.com> wrote:

> > 19 hour work days. Illegal fines. Mandatory uncompensated overtime. No labor representation.
> > Sound like something you want to support?
>
> How many other items in a typical Wal-Mart are made in similar conditions?
>
too many, which is yet another reason for not shopping at sleaze-mart, besides them stiffing their
employees for uncompensated overtime.

 

On Sun, 20 Apr 2003 16:43:35 +0000, B. Sanders wrote:

> This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:
>
> http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm
>
> 19 hour work days. Illegal fines. Mandatory uncompensated overtime. No labor representation. Sound
> like something you want to support?
>
> As this article points out, the ~25 cents per hour that workers make producing Huffy bikes is a
> slave wage. They can't live on it, or raise families or lead normal lives. They can only exist to
> serve the factory, and that's just about all they do. These poor workers are being exploited
> terribly so we can have cheap bikes to ride around the suburbs or campus and toss in the trash
> when they break in a year or two.
>
> When you buy a Huffy, you're saying "it's OK to exploit Chinese workers and put thousands of US
> workers out of their jobs."
>
> -Barry

I have a sneaking feeling that many if not most places in China operate in the same manner. I like
the line "We pay the prevailing minimum wage" I mean,is that something to brag about?

 

"Chris Zacho "The Wheelman"" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Slider2699 wrote:
>
> "Yet WalMart still claims to support American manufacturers. I also hate WalMart. Nothing but
> cheap Chinese junk. I'll never get over seeing Schwinns in the WalMart bike department. Let's just
> hope Cannondale doesn't go the same way."
>
> I know what you mean. Its realling depressing to see such a fine, reliable American icon degraded
> to such levels. How many of us were introduced to cycling on our "faithful Schwinn Varsitys"?
>
> Makes me wonder about the rest of Schwinn's line...
>

I have a Mongoose MTB from the pre-big box store days. It's kind of embarrasing when people ask me
if I got it at Wal Mart. I feel the same way about Schwinn. Why would I spend $$$ for one of
Schwinn's bike store bikes just to have folks think I got it at Wal Mart? I know, I'm materialistic.
Fabs must be rubbing off. Next comes a Fondriest, I guess.....

 

>"B. Sanders" [email protected]

wrote in part:

>
>This should be posted at every store that sells Huffy bikes:
>
>http://www.nlcnet.org/report00/huffybikesdoc.htm
>
>19 hour work days. Illegal fines. Mandatory uncompensated overtime. No labor representation. Sound
>like something you want to support?

---snip---

If true, it's reprehensible but from the publishing organization's home page:

7. Does the NLC support boycotts of companies and/or countries?

No. Taking people's jobs away helps no one. This is not a boycott. This is a struggle to keep jobs
in the underdeveloped world, but jobs with dignity, justice, and fair wages. The only boycott the
NLC endorses is that against the military dictatorship in Burma. See:
http://www.freeburmacoalition.org or the NLC Burma reports for reasons why.

Moral issues are seldom as black and white as we'd wish.

Regards, Bob Hunt

 

"B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
> When you buy a Huffy, you're saying "it's OK to exploit Chinese workers and put thousands of US
> workers out of their jobs."
>

You say that like it's a BAD thing .....

> -Barry