Just because they make $8/hour* and get less than a week of vacation per year doesn't make them slaves!

* Or less if they're temp workers

That explains why my new microwave cart is named "Toby"

If labor is that cheap, why can't they just assemble the damned thing and be done with it?

All in all, it's just another brick in the wall unit.

Without their knowledge.
Despite explicit attempts to prevent it.
Thirty to fifty years ago.

I think it speaks to IKEA's corporate character that they even give a shiat about mistakes made decades ago.
US corporations usually can't be bothered to give a shiat about what mistakes they made *last quarter*.
Let alone bother to apologize or claim they won't repeat them.

Hell, even the very concept of a US corporation *having* character is laughable on its face.

holy crap! they've never bought sneakers in America, huh.

Linoleum_Blownapart: Just because they make $8/hour* and get less than a week of vacation per year doesn't make them slaves!

* Or less if they're temp workers

or you could post something relevant to tfa.

Communist Germany political prisoners in forced labour camps, I'm quite sure, did not get any holidays or receive any payment.

/Though this was a 'snowflake' headline about Swedes making their own children assemble ikea furniture, with no candy reward.

Unavailable for comment

Holy shiat this is--

25 to 30 years ago

oh.

Ohhh...so that's why my bookshelf is called Stasi!

Hey, as a company they have to bring shareholder value, so you find the lowest labor cost. Maybe that's why so many companies are in China now. Oh wait, the companies are reverting back to Mexico, because Mexico isn't so far away, they don't use lead paint, and there isn't as much bribery going on.

Communism sucked and big businesses with longstanding ties to nominally third-way social democrats provided political cover in exchange for cheap labor? Oh boy, that's never happened before.

In before before "not true communists."

Ok, I rarely ever commment, but this is ridiculous. They were a burgeoning and expanding company at the time, and outsourced a little labor. They obviously had a system of checks and balances in place, and it failed, so they fixed it. End of story.

Not a bad place for cheap breakfast and semi-disposable furniture.

ringersol: Without their knowledge.
Despite explicit attempts to prevent it.
Thirty to fifty years ago.

I think it speaks to IKEA's corporate character that they even give a shiat about mistakes made decades ago.
US corporations usually can't be bothered to give a shiat about what mistakes they made *last quarter*.
Let alone bother to apologize or claim they won't repeat them.

Hell, even the very concept of a US corporation *having* character is laughable on its face.

This.

Strangely enough, this makes me like them as a company more.

/whowouldathunkit?

ArcadianRefugee: Holy shiat this is--

25 to 30 years ago

oh.

I am deeply ambivalent about this whole story.


/Survivors should get an apology and some swedish meatballs

FTA: "Wagner said he hoped that Ikea and others would consider compensating former prisoners, many of whom carry psychological and physical scars from arduous labor they were forced to do."

Ah, fishing for money. I was wondering why this was brought up.

It's funny cause there is a boxed Ikea bookcase sitting in my living room right now that the wife and I are both pointedly ignoring.

We'll see who breaks first.

/actually I think it's Sauder. Can't afford that fancy Ikea shiat

BigLuca: We'll see who breaks first.

This game is the real joy of marriage.


/good luck; hope you don't buckle!

trialpha: FTA: "Wagner said he hoped that Ikea and others would consider compensating former prisoners, many of whom carry psychological and physical scars from arduous labor they were forced to do."

Ah, fishing for money. I was wondering why this was brought up.

Yep. Any time you see a story like this, there's an "ask" in there somewhere. And if they say they just want "justice" you can be sure you'll see another story in the near future where "justice" is defined as a pay-out.

/and we all know who ends up with most of the money

Wait, why does Ikea even need labor? It sure as hell ain't for assembly.

Apple went them one better with child and slave labor.

That was this year though so it needs some time in the barrel.

"Ikea is only the tip of the iceberg,"

Iceberg...Goldberg....

Bümmer.

I'll bet this bumps the value of old Ikea furniture if it can be authenticated as having been produced by East German prison labor.

In the US, the Corrections Corporation of America sells a labor pool (guess where) to do jobs including office furniture assembly for as little as 23 cents an hour. Even a phone call from behind bars can run $2.50 a minute.

/welcome to the new China, comrades
//a vastly under reported story

Um they were prisoners, not slaves.

I'm OK with it

OldManDownDRoad: trialpha: FTA: "Wagner said he hoped that Ikea and others would consider compensating former prisoners, many of whom carry psychological and physical scars from arduous labor they were forced to do."

Ah, fishing for money. I was wondering why this was brought up.

Yep. Any time you see a story like this, there's an "ask" in there somewhere. And if they say they just want "justice" you can be sure you'll see another story in the near future where "justice" is defined as a pay-out.

/and we all know who ends up with most of the money

What kind of scars do you get from building a Shlorbanen or a Fikkenduren? I mean, yeah, that Haggendruggen I put together took longer than I expected, and I did scratch myself on one of the edges, but it didn't leave a scar.

Then again, that Yurgenblurzendausen I saw with the Plurj set... that could get nasty.

I swear Ikea just names this shiat randomly to see if we'll actually call it by name.

wait, y'all get paid???? i have to put that stuff together for free

TheRameres: OldManDownDRoad: trialpha: FTA: "Wagner said he hoped that Ikea and others would consider compensating former prisoners, many of whom carry psychological and physical scars from arduous labor they were forced to do."

Ah, fishing for money. I was wondering why this was brought up.

Yep. Any time you see a story like this, there's an "ask" in there somewhere. And if they say they just want "justice" you can be sure you'll see another story in the near future where "justice" is defined as a pay-out.

/and we all know who ends up with most of the money

What kind of scars do you get from building a Shlorbanen or a Fikkenduren?

I do have a few scars on my tongue from trying to tell the staff what kind of living room furniture I was looking for.

"I want a Funkengroven. No, wait, that's only in brown. How about a, a, a, fark it, too many vowels for me. What have you got in black leather, no matter what you call it?"

ringersol: Without their knowledge.
Despite explicit attempts to prevent it.
Thirty to fifty years ago.

I think it speaks to IKEA's corporate character that they even give a shiat about mistakes made decades ago.
US corporations usually can't be bothered to give a shiat about what mistakes they made *last quarter*.
Let alone bother to apologize or claim they won't repeat them.

Hell, even the very concept of a US corporation *having* character is laughable on its face.

I only wish my purchases would count as a charitiable donation.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011 /04/11/157682/ikea-thwarts-union s /?mobile=wp

jtown: I'll bet this bumps the value of old Ikea furniture if it can be authenticated as having been produced by East German prison labor.

An authentic East German Lack table can fetch anywhere from $4 to $40 dollars at the auctionhouse.


/And if you find an East German attytid in the attic, it could make you a hundred-dollar-aire overnight!

Old news...



...or is it?

DUN DUN DUN!

jtown: I'll bet this bumps the value of old Ikea furniture if it can be authenticated as having been produced by East German prison labor.

Old. Ikea. furniture.

I know those words, but that phrase makes no sense.

/Yahoo Serious Festival
//the Ikea in Carson lets you take the cart all the way to your car, unlike in Burbank

uttertosh: Linoleum_Blownapart: Just because they make $8/hour* and get less than a week of vacation per year doesn't make them slaves!

* Or less if they're temp workers

or you could post something relevant to tfa.

Communist Germany political prisoners in forced labour camps, I'm quite sure, did not get any holidays or receive any payment.

/Though this was a 'snowflake' headline about Swedes making their own children assemble ikea furniture, with no candy reward.

Yes, I can see that Ikea's current labor issues have no relevance to their labor issues from the 80's. It's not like the same people are making these decisions.

Help me choose a punchline:

IKEA benefited from forced labor in the 80s more than A) Tracy Morgan B) Planned Parenthood C) the clothes hanger industry.

Random Discord: Um they were prisoners, not slaves.

I'm OK with it

I was just thinking that for our inmates in the US, I'd rather see the prisoners working and earning some money and self respect than spending all their time in the gym or learning how to be better criminals.

Behold - UNICOR.

How are those apologies for using Chinese Lao Gai slave labor coming along? Maybe a few decades into the future?

Linoleum_Blownapart: Just because they make $8/hour* and get less than a week of vacation per year doesn't make them slaves!

Actually, I think its the "not being allowed to quit" that defines slavery. There are plenty of people who volunteer for charities and are paid $0/hour (and, of course, receive no paid vacation from the job), but would certainly not be classified as slaves -- simply because they have the option to quit, should they so-choose.

ringersol: Without their knowledge.
Despite explicit attempts to prevent it.
Thirty to fifty years ago.

I think it speaks to IKEA's corporate character that they even give a shiat about mistakes made decades ago.
US corporations usually can't be bothered to give a shiat about what mistakes they made *last quarter*.
Let alone bother to apologize or claim they won't repeat them.

Hell, even the very concept of a US corporation *having* character is laughable on its face.

Um, yeah...'cause they are admitting it out of the goodness of their hearts not because someone outed them. Did you RTFA?

IKEA crap has always been far easier to assemble than anything else for some reason. Maybe paying prisoners to draw pictures and arrows with no text is the way to go?

Aww did Swedish Wal-Mart shed a solitary tear from its hairless, bleached anus? DIAF. Sauder furniture for yuppies. Have they ever looked into their Chinese manufacturers? Probably can't even visit them which says a lot. It is easier to visit an Eastern European prison labor camp than it is to visit a Chinese production factory. Same reason Amnesty International can eat a cack.

That would explain why there is usualy several pieces missing. The prisoners where using them to build an escape tunnel.

I wonder how far they tunneled with my Goddamn Fastener B and two #7 shelf tabs.

Linoleum_Blownapart: uttertosh: Linoleum_Blownapart: Just because they make $8/hour* and get less than a week of vacation per year doesn't make them slaves!

* Or less if they're temp workers

or you could post something relevant to tfa.

Communist Germany political prisoners in forced labour camps, I'm quite sure, did not get any holidays or receive any payment.

/Though this was a 'snowflake' headline about Swedes making their own children assemble ikea furniture, with no candy reward.

Yes, I can see that Ikea's current labor issues have no relevance to their labor issues from the 80's. It's not like the same people are making these decisions.

jshine: Linoleum_Blownapart: Just because they make $8/hour* and get less than a week of vacation per year doesn't make them slaves!

Actually, I think its the "not being allowed to quit" that defines slavery. There are plenty of people who volunteer for charities and are paid $0/hour (and, of course, receive no paid vacation from the job), but would certainly not be classified as slaves -- simply because they have the option to quit, should they so-choose.

Go read up about Stazi war 'criminals' and how super-duper they were treated, then come back and tell me that tfa bears any relevance to people getting money and paid leave for that work.

Next you'll be likening low-wage crop pickers in Sweden, to African 'cotton harvesters' in America before Emancipation.

EABOD, DIAF if you make this comparison, btw. For real, for real.

uttertosh: jshine: Linoleum_Blownapart: Just because they make $8/hour* and get less than a week of vacation per year doesn't make them slaves!

Actually, I think its the "not being allowed to quit" that defines slavery. There are plenty of people who volunteer for charities and are paid $0/hour (and, of course, receive no paid vacation from the job), but would certainly not be classified as slaves -- simply because they have the option to quit, should they so-choose.

Go read up about Stazi war 'criminals' and how super-duper they were treated, then come back and tell me that tfa bears any relevance to people getting money and paid leave for that work.

Next you'll be likening low-wage crop pickers in Sweden, to African 'cotton harvesters' in America before Emancipation.

EABOD, DIAF if you make this comparison, btw. For real, for real.


I said that "slavery" is defined by ones inability to quit the job. In other words, its involuntary work (rather than unpaid work). I stand by that -- do you disagree? Your post, while sufficiently angry, wasn't particularly clear.

jshine: I said that "slavery" is defined by ones inability to quit the job. In other words, its involuntary work (rather than unpaid work). I stand by that -- do you disagree?

"Just because they make $8/hour* and get less than a week of vacation per year doesn't make them slaves!" is what you said.

I'm in a paid job that I can't quit, as there's nothing else available to me, and get paid ~25% less than others I know in the same job overseas. Quitting would have me bankrupt and on the street within a month. Am I, therefore, a 'slave', like the political prisoners of the stasi in TFA, in your mind? Of course not, that comparison would be very silly, and borderline disrespectful of those prisoners. -- do you disagree?

Good luck with your ham and chalk sandwich. Do try the American orange pie for dessert!

Bluemoons: Ok, I rarely ever commment, but this is ridiculous. They were a burgeoning and expanding company at the time, and outsourced a little labor. They obviously had a system of checks and balances in place, and it failed, so they fixed it. End of story.



Please defend their being setup as a nonprofit to avoid paying taxes, yet "administrative expenses" are so large they don't make any charitable contributions.

/not a hipster so doesn't understand the appeal of particle board furniture