Businesses large and small have an important voice in shaping politics, at the national, state and local level. In this age of hyper partisanship, where political bickering grabs the news much more than the serious social, economic and environmental issues we all face, businesses must find and use their voices more than ever to influence change.
I am the CEO of a small, family-run, California manufacturing business, that employees 50 people, plus many more contractors, consultants, vendors, and more. Much of my days I spend representing, working with, empowering, and fighting for my business and my employees, and they for me.
Businesses large and small must raise a collective voice for action. Together we are stronger. We all have a clear responsibility to make our voices heard loudly, to speak out and make it clear that we stand for a just, fair and open society that nurtures innovation, openness, and diversity in all of its forms — the very things that built our businesses — and the very things that must thrive in our communities and our society if they are to remain vibrant and strong. If we don’t speak, if our voices go unheard, other forces will shape our future, and will allow division, disenfranchisement, and discrimination to seep in. These are things we must not allow.
The reality is the country did not come together in the recent election, now with a house divided, but instead shattered apart into many divisive, divided groups. It is clear that government alone cannot or will not solve all the problems facing us. For this reason, business and business leaders must stand up and speak out in favor of an inclusive path forward.
This path forward requires actions that benefits everyone. For my company, my average employee has worked with us for 17 years. Many have family members who also work at the company, including husband-wife, mother-daughter, siblings, cousins, and more. We operate in Richmond, CA because most of our employees live nearby, and it offers a way to help build a distressed community. We have worked hard to eliminate toxins and chemicals — and have won many green business awards — in order to keep our employees and customers safe from harmful ingredients. We have worked hard to pay well. We have worked to provide benefits that best meet our employees needs, including healthcare, schooling and classes, loans, transportation, and more. We have given our employees a strong voice in the business, and now it is time to use that collective voice for positive change. And not just our employees, we have worked with our network of 80+ suppliers and vendors to share best practices, and find a way forward together.
Businesses must be megaphones for their families, and have the responsibility to amplify their voices to forge a new path forward. This is good not just for one company, but benefits everyone. It also serves to restore the belief that business can stand for — instead of in opposition to — workers. It is time for business to stand up, and stand up for the following things:
- Living Wages and Benefits
- Diversity and Opportunity
- Equal Pay
- Environmental Justice
- Community Investment
It is the right thing to do, especially given the divisions we are now facing. Business must unite and work for real impacts on peoples’ lives, and real and lasting change. We must collectively build truth, trust and togetherness, and stand with the other voices calling for unity and inclusion. It is an imperative for the health of our communities, our customers, our employees, and our companies — in other words, our family and our Nation.
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