Ethical Sourcing & MEC

Ups & Downs - Our Contract Factories

There are many perceptions of our contract factories.  Two of them being "sweat shop" or "Shangrila".  Neither are accurate.  There are non compliance issues in all of our 85 or so contract factories spread across 16 countries.  These challenges range from remuneration violations (e..g, improper pay, excessive overtime) to unsafe working conditions (e.g., mechanical hazards, harmful chemicals).  The root of these issues are multifaceted.  They're discussed at length here (mec.ca/sourcing).  

Update: Bike Industry - Green & Hype

Hi Everyone,

I've temporarily removed this post because there are bigger issues behind a handful of comments I've received and what I'd blogged on in this orginal post. The issues are highly contentious and are tangential to MEC opening bike stores and service centres.

On a very pragmatic basis, when I started this blog two years ago, my goal was to push transparency within MEC and a broader dialogue with our members/general public, as they pertain to ethical sourcing. In 2009, I still hold that ideal but now at this stage of my work with various industries, brands and factories, I need to be more circumspect. Simply because the people I work with (or need to) would rather not have mutual issues visible on the world wide web. I fully agree with that.

Our goal is to improve the working condition in factories that make bikes, footwear, clothing, tents and packs and etc., To build on our prior gains, we need to move to the next level of negotiations with our contract factories or industry colleagues. These conversations ought to be held in private which frankly in my experience makes blogging awfully boring.

Cheers

Israel, Apartheid and Boycotts Part 3

The motion to boycott Israeli suppliers was defeated at MEC's AGM on April 30. 

I have a bunch of observations but will keep most of them to myself simply because if I say "low" a whole bunch of people will be peeved or if I say "high" another group will be keyboarding furiously.

However, I will say I had surprisingly civil and respectful conversations/debates with both sides at our AGM.  For sure many are disappointed, many are relieved but still disappointed and many are out right angry.   I respect the range of emotions and for me personally, the politeness I had encountered is a refreshing pause in a seemingly intractable and unending struggle to achieve peace in the Middle East.