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As musicians and music lovers are gathering for the 2010 NAMM Show this week, they may have to face a contingent of Korean guitar workers who have arrived to highlight unfair labor practices. The guitar company Cort has factories in Korea that suffer from high occupational injury rates, verbal and sexual harassment from managers, no ventilation or breaks, and forced unpaid overtime to meet production deadlines. Major American guitar brands such as Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, G&L, and Westheimer use Cort and Cor-tek Guitars from South Korea to make their “budget” guitar models. These companies have a major presence at the National Association of Music Merchants gathering in Anaheim this week. Cort and Cor-Tek workers and their advocates are calling for serious attention from these guitar companies that rely on Cort for production. Recently Cort closed a number of its factories and fired many workers, claiming financial hardship. But the company remains extremely profitable. In 2007, Cort made a net profit of $14 Million and Cor-tek made a net profit of $700 Million. It’s workers are now fighting back with the support of American labor like AFL-CIO, United Steel Workers, and more, as well as celebrities like Tom Morello and Boots Riley.

GUESTS: Sukjong Hong, Cort Action

Cort Action will hold a press conference at NAMM on Thursday 1/14 at 2pm, in front of the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Avenue, Anaheim 92802.

There will also be a picket from 10 am to 6 pm every day of the NAMM show.

For more information, visit cortaction.wordpress.com.