Comments for Dean Cycon http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon Just another The Chelsea Green Weblogs weblog Sat, 18 May 2013 21:17:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Is Convict Labor Socially Responsible? by Shel Horowitz--Ethical Marketing Expert http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/2009/02/13/is-convict-labor-socially-responsible/#comment-12 Shel Horowitz--Ethical Marketing Expert Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:25:21 +0000 http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/?p=3#comment-12 I think Dean's key point is that companies often wrap themselves in the greenwashed cloak of social and/or environmental responsibility, and that they need to walk their talk (as Dean does). -Shel Horowitz, author of Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First and founder of the Business Ethics Pledge http://www.business-ethics-pledge.org I think Dean's key point is that companies often wrap themselves in the greenwashed cloak of social and/or environmental responsibility, and that they need to walk their talk (as Dean does).

-Shel Horowitz, author of Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First and founder of the Business Ethics Pledge http://www.business-ethics-pledge.org

]]> Comment on Is Convict Labor Socially Responsible? by Jackie http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/2009/02/13/is-convict-labor-socially-responsible/#comment-7 Jackie Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:42:43 +0000 http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/?p=3#comment-7 Did Starbucks receive any government funds for creating a so called "rehabilitation program"? I agree that if it was a humanitarian program, Starbucks would be telling us all about it. Sounds like a possible "Shawshank Redemption" situation to me :D. I actually am in favor of creating programs where prisoners generate income to offset their expense to society. I am not in favor of large corporations manipulating these programs and diverting the benefit away from the communities the prison is located. Did Starbucks receive any government funds for creating a so called "rehabilitation program"? I agree that if it was a humanitarian program, Starbucks would be telling us all about it. Sounds like a possible "Shawshank Redemption" situation to me :D.

I actually am in favor of creating programs where prisoners generate income to offset their expense to society. I am not in favor of large corporations manipulating these programs and diverting the benefit away from the communities the prison is located.

]]> Comment on Is Convict Labor Socially Responsible? by Martin http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/2009/02/13/is-convict-labor-socially-responsible/#comment-5 Martin Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:59:33 +0000 http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/?p=3#comment-5 On a barely related note, I'm all in favor of programs that use voluntary prison labor to create value in the real economy or at least lower the cost to the public of having prisons. Having them grow their own food would be a pretty good start. On a barely related note, I'm all in favor of programs that use voluntary prison labor to create value in the real economy or at least lower the cost to the public of having prisons. Having them grow their own food would be a pretty good start.

]]> Comment on Is Convict Labor Socially Responsible? by Martin http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/2009/02/13/is-convict-labor-socially-responsible/#comment-4 Martin Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:52:18 +0000 http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/?p=3#comment-4 It really is an apples and oranges comparison. One of the more capable 'clients' at the workshop had transitioned to a real world job with our company when I was working there. I can't envision a similar thing happening with the prison workers that did Starbucks' packaging. It really is an apples and oranges comparison. One of the more capable 'clients' at the workshop had transitioned to a real world job with our company when I was working there. I can't envision a similar thing happening with the prison workers that did Starbucks' packaging.

]]> Comment on Is Convict Labor Socially Responsible? by deancycon http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/2009/02/13/is-convict-labor-socially-responsible/#comment-3 deancycon Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:03:05 +0000 http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/?p=3#comment-3 That is a very interesting topic. I think there is a difference between working with people with disabilities and working with prison labor, as far as a company is concerned. Here's the acid test to me - do you proudly tell your customers about these arrangements? In the case of people with disabilities, most companies, Dean's Beans included, are proud of these relationships and let folks know about them. In the case of prison labor? If the company thinks they are doing a social good, why don't they let people know about it? If the company is saving money and thinks the concept clashes with their image as socially responsible, they are less likely to tell the consumer about it, as was the case with Starbucks. I also think that programs working with people with disabilities are not in my experience forced labor, whereas I am not sure whether the same can be said for prison labor. That is a very interesting topic. I think there is a difference between working with people with disabilities and working with prison labor, as far as a company is concerned. Here's the acid test to me - do you proudly tell your customers about these arrangements? In the case of people with disabilities, most companies, Dean's Beans included, are proud of these relationships and let folks know about them. In the case of prison labor? If the company thinks they are doing a social good, why don't they let people know about it? If the company is saving money and thinks the concept clashes with their image as socially responsible, they are less likely to tell the consumer about it, as was the case with Starbucks. I also think that programs working with people with disabilities are not in my experience forced labor, whereas I am not sure whether the same can be said for prison labor.

]]> Comment on Is Convict Labor Socially Responsible? by Martin http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/2009/02/13/is-convict-labor-socially-responsible/#comment-2 Martin Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:09:20 +0000 http://chelseagreen.com/blogs/deancycon/?p=3#comment-2 I used to work for a fair trade coffee co-op. We contracted that kind of work to a workshop for the mentally handicapped. It wasn't just seasonal work, at that time we were sourcing our labeling and our bags separately and they needed to be stuck together. That's not the kind of job that your average wage earner can stomach for long. I don't know anything about the dollars and cents of it but it seemed to be a mutually beneficial situation. I used to work for a fair trade coffee co-op. We contracted that kind of work to a workshop for the mentally handicapped. It wasn't just seasonal work, at that time we were sourcing our labeling and our bags separately and they needed to be stuck together. That's not the kind of job that your average wage earner can stomach for long. I don't know anything about the dollars and cents of it but it seemed to be a mutually beneficial situation.

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