Dear Green American, A green economy depends on healthy workers making a living income. Unfortunately, across the supply chain, wage theft is part of a race to the bottom economic model that disproportionately impacts workers in the global south. The companies perpetuating this economic model and refuse to be accountable are often U.S. companies. Specialized Bicycle Components is one of them. Today, we bring to you a message directly from one of the 831 APS workers who sewed bicycle apparels for Specialized: My name is Ana Julia Batres. I am a former garment worker at APS factory in El Salvador where I worked for 10 years. I am reaching out to you on behalf of myself and coworkers, not just as supporters, but as partners in a fight for wage justice that hits close to home. Over the past year, you’ve stood by us, garment workers in El Salvador, as we’ve battled to claim the wages and severance legally owed to us. Specialized has proposed to settle their massive debt to us with a payment of only $44,000 out of the $659,000 the workers are still owed. That is a mere $53 per worker. This isn’t just insufficient—it’s an insult to the worker’s dignity and hard work. Thanks for your effort to call on the California based bicycle company Specialized, we are closer to justice, but today, we need your help more than ever. A recent Escape Collective article exposed Specialized for their lackluster labor practice, contrary to their company policy, writing "The industry's commitment to sustainability is fundamentally flawed if it does not include fair labor practices. As consumers, supporting brands that neglect their workers' rights undermines our own values and perpetuates a cycle of injustice." Please join our Twitter storm today, International Workers Day, by sending one of these tweets on X all the way to Specialized’s boardroom. |
