SUPPORT THE BOYCOTT OF MONSTER CABLE!
On Monday, Feb. 5, over 120 laid-off Monster Cable workers launched a boycott calling on consumers to stop buying Monster Cable products until the company resolves the workers demands fairly. Despite the past few months of laid-off worker protests and retailer pickets, the company has continued to ignore their calls for a fair severance and community fund, even though it would take just a few of their 40+ luxury company cars to resolve worker demands.
In the past few months of outreach, consumers have expressed great surprise and outrage that a company as wealthy as Monster Cable would treat workers this way. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors plans to pass a resolution in support of the workers demands on Feb. 13, demanding that Monster Cable treat its workers fairly and not embarrass the city after buying naming rights to Candlestick Park.
Workers call on consumers to support the boycott, and invite community organizations and musicians to join the growing list of official endorsers of the boycott.
How You Can Help
Call CEO Noel Lee at (415) 508-0000 (work cell)
E-mail at headmonster@monstercable.com. Please cc: shawsan@cpasf.org
Background Summary
Monster Cable, a wealthy Bay Area company producing high-end audio cables and other accessories, laid off over 120 immigrant workers in Oct. 2006 and outsourced their jobs to low-wage workers overseas. After spending their youth building this company and generating wealth for its executives, laid-off workers were kicked out in their 40s and 50s, the hardest age to be unemployed. They were offered a drastically reduced severance from past years (four weeks as opposed to four weeks plus one week for each year worked), and empty promises of help in re-employment.
Workers are demanding a fair severance and community fund, because a company like Monster should be responsible for the impacts of their outsourcing practices on loyal employees and the community.
The company’s response has been to spread misinformation and treat their workers disrespectfully, refusing to work with laid-off employees to resolve their concerns. Monster Cable CEO Noel Lee claims that the severance and community fund would force them to lay-off more workers. But it would only cost the company an estimated $500,000 to pay the workers a fair severance.
Up to $1 billion in sales. $6 million to name Monster Park. $5.5 million in luxury cars. Only a real Monster would claim that he can’t afford justice for laid-off workers!
Where’s the money?
Founder and self-titled “Head Monster” Noel Lee is an “entrepreneurial success story” who made his wealth by selling expensive cables ($40 - $400) while paying Asian and Latino immigrant workers an average of just $11 an hour. He is trying to play the good local employer who cares about the community, while in reality he has joined the rest of the corporate bandwagon to exploit low-wage workers overseas. “Head Monster” Noel Lee spent $6 million to name "Monster Park" (aka Candlestick Park in San Francisco), has annual sales of up to $1 billion, and is famous for his love of expensive toys; including a luxury company car fleet valued at $5.5 million. Think about how workers feel to struggle on unemployment, knowing the “Head Monster” could resolve their demands by selling just a few of his 40+ fancy sports cars.
What Workers Want and the Company’s Response
Laid-off workers are demanding that the company pay a fair severance and contribute to the community which has been so severely impacted by mass unemployment. Monster Cable’s response has been to say that they have been very generous, and that the company they will not do any better for workers. The company is trying to pit laid-off workers against the workers who still work at the factory, claiming that fair treatment of laid-off workers will hurt the few remaining production workers at the factory. Meanwhile, workers witness the transfer of production equipment to facilities in Mexico and see their employer wage a PR battle on former dedicated and hardworking employees, rather than resolving the issues at hand.
Join the Growing Movement!
Next week, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors plans to pass a resolution supporting Monster Cable workers campaign. Community organizations and musicians are already signing on to endorse the boycott. We urge others to join us!
To support our campaign, please contact Shaw San Liu at the Chinese Progressive Association, 415-391-6986, ext. 313, shawsan@cpasf.org. [click here for endorsement form]
For information on Monster’s actions against small companies with “Monster” in their name, see www.monstergreed.com.
