Milwaukee Tool faces lawsuit over alleged use of forced labor to make gloves

A man who was once imprisoned in China's Chishan Prison claims he and other prisoners were forced to make four versions of Milwaukee Tool gloves in harsh conditions with little or no pay.

Xu Lunthe former prisoner named in a civil suit under a pseudonym, claims to have been subjected to forced labor for five months.

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. And Techtronic Industries Company Limitedthe parent company of Milwaukee Tool, are both named as defendants in the lawsuit filed Thursday.

The complaint claims that Milwaukee Tool violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which allows victims of forced labor to bring a civil action against anyone who knowingly benefits from that labor.

“Milwaukee Tool cannot comment on pending litigation. However, Milwaukee Tool takes allegations of a supplier’s use of forced labor very seriously and does not condone such practices,” the company said in a statement. “We deeply sympathize with those affected by such practices and remain committed to ensuring ethical standards throughout our operations.”

Milwaukee Tool says that “despite rigorous investigations,” it has found no evidence of forced labor in the production of its gloves.

“Our commitment to transparency and accountability is underscored by numerous independent, third-party and internal audits, none of which have found any indication of such practices,” according to the statement. “Milwaukee Tool considers this complaint to be without merit and the charges will be vigorously defended. »

The specific models of gloves that are believed to have been made with forced labor are the Demolition, Winter Demolition, Performance, and FreeFlex glove models.

Chishan Prison has a series of manufacturing facilities, consisting of 11 wards, located within walking distance of the prison cell blocks, according to the complaint.

“Districts II and III were associated with the production of Milwaukee Tool gloves,” the complaint reads.

Production of Milwaukee Tool gloves began in Ward II, where various types of polyester fabrics, including fabrics bearing the Milwaukee Tool logo, were first received, according to the complaint. Once arrived at Ward II, the fabric was cut into pieces. The parts were then sent to Ward III to be assembled into gloves.

The complaint alleges that each prisoner was assigned a daily quota of cutting fabric of between 450 and 500 pairs of gloves. The daily quota for sewing was approximately 200 pairs of gloves. Prisoners were allegedly forced to work up to 13 hours a day, with only one to three days off per month.

“Prisoners were paid between $1.41 and $42.50 per month for their work, depending on the tasks they were assigned,” according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges that although many U.S. companies doing manufacturing work in China claim they do not use forced prison labor, in practice this is not the case.

“They (Milwaukee Tool) used and benefited from forced labor, including that of the plaintiff (Lun), who was forced to make Milwaukee Tool gloves while imprisoned in Hunan Chishan Prison, in Hunan Province (China),” according to the suit.

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Although Milwaukee Tool claims to audit its suppliers, the complaint says Milwaukee Tool representatives “virtually admitted their recklessness to at least one member of Congress after being investigated by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.”

“Milwaukee Tools representatives admitted that they were unable to properly audit their PRC (People's Republic of China) suppliers, despite repeatedly stating otherwise to the public,” according to the complaint.

Milwaukee Tool has terminated its relationship with the supplier accused in this case and no longer sources gloves from them. The company says it made this decision regardless of the allegations in this lawsuit.

“At a 2023 hearing, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, acknowledged Milwaukee Tool's actions,” the company's statement read . “He highlighted our proactive approach in severing ties with the accused supplier and welcomed our investigation. As Representative Smith notes, during investigations, Milwaukee Tool found several examples of unauthorized counterfeit gloves originating in China and bearing the Milwaukee brand, which supports the likelihood that the gloves in question could be examples of counterfeit gloves. unauthorized. .”