The RV Industry Association (RVIA) on Wednesday issued a statement in response to a pair of Indy Star stories published Oct. 19 that reflected poorly on the RV manufacturing side of the industry, which RVIA represents.
“Untold stories behind Indiana’s RV boom: A punishing pace, safety issues and broken bodies; a look at the grueling conditions RV workers endured as companies saw record sales and profits during the RV boom of the pandemic,” was the headline and sub-headline of one of the pieces. The link to it is here, although there is a paywall, so only subscribers may view it.
The “subscriber’s exclusive” focuses initially on the period in early 2020 when COVID-19 first became widely known. Factories were forced to shut down and then were able to re-open only after being deemed “essential” by the state of Indiana. Workers that the news outlet interviewed spoke to their experiences in the industry, some of a decade or more.
In response to the Star’s reporting, RVIA issued the following statement:
“For nearly a year, the RV Industry Association answered questions from and worked with the reporter from the Indy Star, emphasizing the high priority the RV industry places on workplace safety and the safety of our products. Regrettably, much of what was provided was not included in the resulting stories. The RV industry employs over 330,000 people who proudly build products that allow families to spend quality time together while enjoying the many physical and mental health benefits of being outside and living an active outdoor lifestyle. They are the fabric of our industry and protecting the safety of these valued employees is of paramount importance to our industry.”