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Store Owner Explains How Labor Exploitation Works, Says She Earns ’70k Like Everybody Else’
Madeline Pendleton has built a name for herself largely through her online presence, advocating for ethical consumption and representing counterculture.
But she also owns Tunnel Vision, a clothing line and vintage shop in Los Angeles. The brand champions size inclusivity, sustainability, and economic equality. It’s also dedicated to sweatshop-free manufacturing and makes monthly donations to Equality California and Black Lives Matter.
Plus, Madeline took a huge pay cut so that her employees could earn a decent living.
Image credits: DeeLaSheeArt
RELATED:
Recently, small business owner and fashion icon Madeline Pendleton released a TikTok to discuss labor exploitation
@madeline_pendletonReply to @octig #greenscreen♬ original sound – Madeline Pendleton
Madeline’s business model reminds that of Dan Price’s. In 2015, the CEO of Gravity Payments made headlines all over the world when he announced that his employees would receive a minimum salary of $70,000.
To finance this move, Dan cut his own $1.1M pay by 90%. At the time, this decision received a lot of criticism but 6 years later, the company is thriving and Price said it has made him happier and a better boss.
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
Madeline’s store makes over half a million dollars per year
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
You don’t hear about these things very often. In fact, you could call Madeline’s business an anomaly. A report by the Economic Policy Institute states that the average CEO pay is 271 times the nearly $58,000 annual average pay of the typical American worker.
Even though some argue that CEO pay is based on experience and high demands that come with the role, the study finds that’s actually not the case.
“CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are more productive or have special talent or have more education,” the report says. “Exorbitant CEO pay means that the fruits of economic growth are not going to ordinary workers, since the higher CEO pay does not reflect correspondingly higher output.”
For comparison, in 1978, CEO earnings were roughly 30 times the typical worker’s salary.
In the UK, the bosses of FTSE 100 companies now earn 117 times the salary of their average worker.
She could pay her employees just $14.25 an hour
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
This would equate to $177.8K per year
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
And take home well over $400K
Image credits: madeline_pendleton
But she refuses to do so and splits the profits equally with everyone working in the store
@madeline_pendletonReply to @jimmyboy_1969♬ original sound – Madeline Pendleton
People are loving her business model
Image credits: i8yomomma
Image credits: shoptunnelvision
Image credits: shoptunnelvision
Image credits: MMiyukiM2
Image credits: jayypill
Image credits: boooitsnia
Image credits: nosliwnibrok
Image credits: elko_notes
Image credits: iammarsamarna
What do you think ?
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
And again an employer proves that there's no need to exploit your employees. What I love however is the "lower middle class". I didn't know that the US had a system of classes but suddenly it hit me that that explains why people treat other people so lousy. The US thinks in classes and the pariahs are treated without any respect. The abolition of slavery and segregation created a new system to humiliate people. Your wealth defines your privileges in the US and I can see why having a universal health care poses a threat to a lot people. It must be quite menacing to have to live with the knowledge that your employees have access to the same health care as you do.
Ashley Dopp 3 years ago
Yup. Even those barely scraping by will still look down their nose at a homeless person thinking that they are more akin to their billionaire CEO than the poor man sleeping on the street. It's is bizarre.
Load More Replies...
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago (edited)
On a side note: Today a Dutch Court declared the Über-construction illegal under Dutch law. According to Dutch law they are an employer and as such they have to pay their employees livable wages and are responsible for securing a pension plan, cover the 20 mandatory vacation days and cough up a lot of social premiums that employers have to pay. They will also have to pay all the employees outstanding wages over the time that Über considered them contractors. In February Deliveroo lost a similar case forcing them to treat people who are working for them as employees instead of contractors.
Damon Tripodi 3 years ago (edited)
How are they not contractors? I just don't understand. They set their own hours they accept or decline assignments. They work when they want. That's a contractor. never mind the wage for a moment.
Load More Replies... WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
And again an employer proves that there's no need to exploit your employees. What I love however is the "lower middle class". I didn't know that the US had a system of classes but suddenly it hit me that that explains why people treat other people so lousy. The US thinks in classes and the pariahs are treated without any respect. The abolition of slavery and segregation created a new system to humiliate people. Your wealth defines your privileges in the US and I can see why having a universal health care poses a threat to a lot people. It must be quite menacing to have to live with the knowledge that your employees have access to the same health care as you do.
Ashley Dopp 3 years ago
Yup. Even those barely scraping by will still look down their nose at a homeless person thinking that they are more akin to their billionaire CEO than the poor man sleeping on the street. It's is bizarre.
Load More Replies... WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago (edited)
On a side note: Today a Dutch Court declared the Über-construction illegal under Dutch law. According to Dutch law they are an employer and as such they have to pay their employees livable wages and are responsible for securing a pension plan, cover the 20 mandatory vacation days and cough up a lot of social premiums that employers have to pay. They will also have to pay all the employees outstanding wages over the time that Über considered them contractors. In February Deliveroo lost a similar case forcing them to treat people who are working for them as employees instead of contractors.
Damon Tripodi 3 years ago (edited)
How are they not contractors? I just don't understand. They set their own hours they accept or decline assignments. They work when they want. That's a contractor. never mind the wage for a moment.
Load More Replies...
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