Wayfair employees plan walkout to protest company selling beds to migrant detention camps

Employees of the online retailer Wayfair will be taking a stand today.

They’ll be walking out of the company’s headquarters in Boston at 1:30 p.m. ET to protest Wayfair’s recent sale of beds to a government contractor that manages migrant camps at the United States’ southern border.

After finding out about the $200,000 sale last week, employees penned a letter to Wayfair executives requesting that the company cease all business with border camps.

tl;dr - Wayfair sold beds to furnish border camps; 547 employees signed a petition to ask that we cease all business with border camps; CEO said no —>employees are walking out tmrw at 1:30pm. We ask that Wayfair donate all profits made from the sale to RAICES #WayfairWalkout

— wayfairwalkout (@wayfairwalkout) June 25, 2019

It was signed by 547 employees, but the leadership team led by CEO Niraj Shah said no.

“The United States government and its contractors are responsible for the detention and mistreatment of hundreds of thousands of migrants seeking asylum in our country -- we want that to end,” said the letter.

“We also want to be sure that Wayfair has no part in enabling, supporting or profiting from this practice.”

Hi Scott - original letter below pic.twitter.com/UTqhZZu5FL

— Dais (@sun_daiz) June 25, 2019

The letter expresses concern that selling any products to this government contractor, BCFS, enables the U.S. government to continue these camps, which the UN has called “a child rights violation.”

In a reply letter, the Wayfair leadership team said it was standard practice to fulfill orders for all customers.

I know I only have like 12 followers but look at this fucking shit. @Wayfair is supplying the concentration camps and their employees are pissed about it. @davidhogg111 you’re good at this shit. pic.twitter.com/zaed6gSVe6

— the braves bullpen of takes (@FizFashizzle) June 25, 2019

“We believe it is our business to sell to any customer who is acting within the laws of the countries within which we operate,” it said.

“This does not indicate support for the opinions or actions of the groups or individuals who purchase from us.”

Today’s protest will take place at Copley Square in Boston at 1:30 p.m. ET and employees are encouraging anyone to join in.