Attorney details allegations against Milwaukee Tool for alleged use of forced Chinese prison labor
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee manufacturing giant is accused of using forced labor overseas, according to a newly filed lawsuit.
Two law firms say Milwaukee Tool used forced prison labor at a glove-making facility in China.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, June 27 by a plaintiff known only by the pseudonym Xu Lun, claims that the company and its parent, Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries, profited from forced labor at Hunan Chishan Prison. The pseudonym is used in documents because the Xu Lun's representatives state he fears retribution from the Chinese government if his identity is revealed.
Prisoners allegedly faced production quotas and were penalized for failing to meet them, with punishments including solitary confinement, beatings and electric shocks.
The lawsuit alleges political prisoners were forced to make Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves for 13 hours a day in oppressive conditions, earning just a few dollars a month.
An attorney who filed the suit said it's a tough case to build, and the former prisoners risked a lot to make it happen.
Attorney Times Wang said, "This lawsuit is just a small window into what is a much larger and much more prevalent problem."
The lawsuit says a former political prisoner was subjected to months of forced labor, and that Milwaukee Tool and its parent company benefitted from it and knew about it, a violation of US law.
Wang said, "It's designed to create incentive for American companies to proactively root out forced labor in their supply chains."
"Connecting those dots, and tracing labor to an identifiable American product, that’s very hard," according to Wang.
The suit says the plaintiff worked in a manufacturing facility at Chishan Prison that was just a short walk from the cell blocks.
In 2022, he was forced to make a variety of textile products including work gloves with the "distinct "Milwaukee" logo," according to the suit.
The gloves also had a label citing Milwaukee Tool's Brookfield address.
The lawsuit includes a screengrab of a Milwaukee Tools executive touting gloves that were made in Chishan Prison.
The suit claims the US government "all but confirmed" the allegations, saying a shipment of gloves was blocked by US Customs and Border Protection this past April, based on evidence "that reasonably indicates the use of convict labor."
Wang says if little can be done directly against the Chinese government, US law can have an indirect effect. "If you make it costly for American companies to benefit from forced labor abroad, that will help the larger issue."
The lawsuit says the plaintiff was paid the equivalent of $1.41 to $2.82 per month.
It also describes the working conditions:
- No heat or air conditioning in the factories
- Working through severe weather conditions
- 11-13 hour workdays
- Only 1-3 days off a month
It says many prisoners developed eczema and other skin ailments due to poor ventilation, and constant exposure to dust led to respiratory health issues.
It also says there was no safety training and there were frequent injuries as a result.
Wang said cases like this one could take a few years to complete, but other plaintiffs could also file. "The statute of limitations on this law is 10 years. So unless Milwaukee Tool wants to do the right thing, this may be a problem for a long time to come," he said.
The lawsuit seeks damages and injunctive relief under the Trafficking Victim Protection Act, alleging that Milwaukee Tool and Techtronic knowingly benefited from forced labor.
The damages listed include compensation for unpaid wages, as well as additional compensation for mental anguish and suffering caused by the forced labor conditions.
We reached out multiple times to Milwaukee Tool's media team and its communications coordinator.
No one responded to our requests for a comment on the lawsuit.