Monster Cable Workers Vow to Continue Year-long Boycott

2/20/08

Monster Cable Workers, on the 1 year anniversary of the Monster Cable Boycott, condemned the company's recent hard-line moves toward their workers at San Francisco City Hall. Noel Lee, CEO of Monster Cable for reneged on his initial four-week severance agreement and retaliated for worker organizing. Despite conciliatory offers by the workers, including a halt to public protests, in an attempt to settle the campaign.

After one year of struggle, over 60 workers haven't received any severance at all and their unemployment benefits and training program will end in a few months. Meanwhile Monster Cable has laid off all remaining production workers, completing its abandonment of immigrant workers and their families.

Workers have won support from elected officials. County Supervisors Jake McGoldrick, Chris Daly, and state Assembly members expressed support for the workers. They vowed to continue supporting the boycotting workers.

The workers and their supporters vowed to continue the boycott. The workers' support website, "Justice for Monster Cable" quoted laid-off worker Wei Ming Li, “Where is CEO Noel Lee’s conscience? For just a little bit of self-interest, he is hurting the workers who made his products and made his company successful. We workers are very angry about Monster Cable’s retaliation and we will continue this boycott until the company resolves this!”

In addition, a support CD, “Boycott Monster Cable!” compiled from boycotting musicians which will be used in fundraising effort to support laid-off workers. The Chinese Progressive Association announced that community supporters had decided to create a community-based worker hardship fund.

The result: over 60 workers have received $0 in severance from Monster Cable. In a few months, workers’ retraining and unemployment benefits end and they will face the challenge of finding stable living-wage jobs.  Meanwhile, in December 2007, Monster Cable laid off the remaining production workers, a total of over 200 workers laid off in the last year and a half.

Comments on this Article? Go to our forums