B&H is one of the biggest retail names in the world of photography, but it’s also the one at the center of a new controversy after nearly 200 workers launched a campaign to unionize. The disgruntled employees accuse the photo retail giant of widespread racial discrimination, wage theft, and unsafe working conditions inside the Brooklyn-based warehouses.
Al Jazeera America published a lengthy report today after interviewing a number of B&H employees involved in the movement.
The stories are alarming. One man reports doing 13-hour warehouse shifts and getting his spine injured in an accident — he attributes it to a lack of proper training. Another accuses B&H of failing to provide safety equipment (i.e. gloves) because it’s too expensive. Others report suffering health damage from working near dust and fiberglass/asbestos insulation.
B&H has been slapped with multiple discrimination lawsuits over the years, reports Al Jazeera America: a settled $4.3 million one in 2007 by Latino workers, another in 2009 by female workers, and a third in 2011 by another two Latino workers.
A large group of employees flooded into B&H’s retail store this week, occupying the space with chants for justice:
Posted by Santiago Cano on Sunday, October 11, 2015
Workers have also been demonstrating on the sidewalks outside the store:
Workers have the power! End discrimination & wage theft!! Safety now!! #BHexposed
Posted by Laundry Workers Center on Sunday, October 11, 2015
On Sunday October 11th, unhappy workers launched a union campaign with Laundry Workers Center and the United Steelworkers. They’re calling for B&H to recognize their new union and “to fix dangerous workplace conditions, end discrimination against Latino employees, and stop wage theft at their two Brooklyn warehouses.”
B&H has declined our request for comment. You can read more about the accusations on Laundry Workers Center and over at Al Jazeera America.
Image credits: Header photo by Dmadeo
from PetaPixel http://ift.tt/1hCZfti
from WordPress http://ift.tt/1MpnNOU
No comments:
Post a Comment