Category: BDS Hub

“The Global Educator”, the Journal of the British Columbia Teachers for Peace and Global Education Winter 2011 issue offers a variety of indepth articles, including the following one by Patrik Parkes on page 25. Please note that Patrik is not a member of the Canada Palestine Association but we are publishing his article on our site on his behalf. (http://pagebc.ca/documents/Winter_2011_Journal.pdf)

In the last issue of The Global Educator, I made a case against shopping at Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). One reason is that MEC markets itself as green and ethical, while shipping products halfway around the world instead of manufacturing them here in Canada. Moreover, some of these products are manufactured in human-rights deficient countries, including Israel, where MEC buys from a military supplier. More recently, MEC has gotten into the bicycle business, importing bicycles from Taiwan to sell at a boutique-shop price point, presumably in order to put smaller, independent stores out of business. Even worse, if MEC members want to change it, AGM resolutions now have to be vetted by the MEC executive, which isn’t very democratic.

Fortunately, there’s still a way to let them know how you feel: cancel your membership and cash out. MEC doesn’t advertise it, but when you quit your membership they owe you dividends.

Having learned this, I recently mailed in a withdrawal form (page 26), and am awaiting a cheque for what I am told will amount to approximately $120.

According to the fine print, no longer wishing to be a member of MEC is an acceptable reason for cancellation, so I filled out the “other reason” section with some of the aforementioned complaints.

I recommend this as an easy way to send MEC a message, while making some money at the same time. Just keep in mind that, if you withdraw, you will have to wait two years before you can apply for membership again.

The following letter was sent by Mavi Marmara survivor Kevin Neish to Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC). Please note that Kevin is not a member of the Canada Palestine Association but we are publishing his letter on our site on his behalf.

Dear MEC Board,

My name is Kevin Neish and I’m a MEC member. I was on board the humanitarian aid ship the Mavi Marmara when it was assaulted by Israeli commandos on May 31st 2010. I witnessed, or saw the evidence of, the Israeli military’s murder and execution of 9 fellow aid workers and wounding by gunfire 30 to 40 others. Myself and the other survivors suffered brutal humiliating treatment by the Israelis on the ship, in prison and during our deportation. Beatings, torture and abuse were commonplace. As a white Westerner I was safer than the Arab and Turkish aid workers but even I was threatened several times with beatings and I had a gun put to my head at least 6 times for daring to challenge the soldiers brutal treatment of fellow aid workers. I was not permitted to use a washroom for over 15 hours and was not allowed to sleep for 3 days, with prison guards apparently enjoying waking us up regularly all night long.

I was heading to Gaza to assist in repairing their water and sewer systems and to act as a human shield for school children. I had over $1000 of high quality MEC clothing and equipment in my luggage but the Israeli soldiers either stole or destroyed almost everything I had. I imagine that my new Contention Gore-Tex jacket and Keen Oregon boots are now wandering around Tel Aviv on some soldier.

It’s quite possible that some of MEC’s Israeli partner company’s equipment was in use by the commandos who attacked me on the Mavi. Perhaps some of those companies employees were the ones putting guns to my head and beating people around me.

I will not purchase one single item of equipment or clothing from MEC until you come to your senses and stop dealing with Israeli companies. They support Israel’s brutal military, oppress and exploit the Arab minority in Israel and support the illegal occupation and brutalisation of Palestine.

I would be more then willing to explain, document and prove what happened to me in person at any meeting of the MEC board or membership.

I look forward to your reply.

Kevin Neish

In its summer 2010 edition, The Global Educator, Journal of the B.C. Teachers for Peace and Global Education (PAGE) published the following article (on page 23): http://pagebc.ca/documents/Summer_2010_Journal.pdf

The British Columbia Teachers for Peace and Global Education is not affiliated with the Canada Palestine Association.

MEC is about as green as “Mother Nature’s Gas Station”, and now makes the un-coolest bike on the Canadian market. Don’t buy one.

By: Patrik Parkes

If it talks like a corporation, walks like a corporation, and acts like a corporation, then it must be a corporation. On June 12, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) held a “Bikefest” with a “free barbecue, entertainment and dance performances by… [a] bike-based dance troupe, clowns, some music and information.” You can bet the “information” had nothing to do with cycling, and everything to do with promoting their new line of bicycles. (And shame on the performers for joining this shameless corporate promo event.)

MEC has for some years now aimed to be nothing but big. It dominates the market for hiking and camping gear, and now aims to dominate the bicycle business as well. MEC is a master of greenwash, with little to show in terms of walking the walk. In other words, it’s about as green as Chevron, “Mother Nature’s Gas Station”. MEC sees no contradiction between its purported green, ethical mandate, and shipping products halfway around the world in smoke-belching freighters and employing factories in human rights deficient locations like China and Israel.

MEC’s co-op credentials are further eroded by its moves to restrict members’ decision making input. So-called ordinary resolutions can no longer be made from the floor of MEC’s annual general meeting, and must be vetted first by Directors. Earlier this year, when I enquired about these changes, Sara Golling,•Director and Chair of MEC’s Elections and Member Communications Committee, was unable to be clear on why vetting was necessary. When I asked if it might have something to do with an Israeli boycott resolution that was moved in 2009, she replied, “I doubt very much that had this year’s change in process been applied last year that the board would have acted any differently. We did not flinch from the vehemence of that debate, nor would we on any other debate where strongly held opinions are expressed regarding MEC’s business. That is simply not our history or culture.” Then why the change?

This was not my first encounter with Golling. Some years ago, she replied to a concern I had about MEC retail employees’ wages being not much higher than those at other comparable businesses. She seemed to think it was good enough simply that they were higher.

Apparently it was of no concern they were inadequate in Canada’s high-rent cities. Perhaps this is because Golling has never had to survive on retail wages, or work in a Chinese factory making athletic wear. Upon a perfunctory look at their resumes, the same seems true of MEC’s other Directors. This might explain why human rights – and environmentalism – is for them simply a marketing tool. MEC no longer lives up to the expectations we have of co-ops, and should do the right thing and register as a corporation. In short, MEC now makes the un-coolest bike on the Canadian market. Don’t buy one.

“The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.” – George Orwell