Speed Queen
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 1 November 2026 · 5 sources
US washing machine and dryer brand owned by Alliance Laundry Holdings.
Unsafe working conditions were documented in Speed Queen's supply chain in 2016.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (unsafe conditions, last recorded in 2016) is more than 5 years old.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: unsafe conditions, last recorded in 2016
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Red flag: A confirmed problem with pay, rights or safety not shown to be put right
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Speed Queen's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Actively empowers workers (ownership, worker committees, union agreements, training)
Research notes Speed Queen home washers and dryers are made in owner Alliance Laundry's own Wisconsin plants, where the United Steelworkers represent 1,691 workers under a contract running to February 2027; Australian listings show front loaders made in the USA. Alliance also runs plants in the Czech Republic, Thailand and China, mainly for larger commercial machines. Parts such as motors, steel and electronic controls come from outside suppliers in unnamed countries, and no supplier code, supplier list or audit results are published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Open Supply Hub | Listed | OSHA cited Alliance Laundry Systems in December 2016 for a wilful machine-guarding violation at Ripon, with $124,709 in proposed penalties, after three amputations in 2015-16. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | OSHA cited Alliance Laundry Systems for a wilful violation and proposed $124,709 in penalties after a worker at its Ripon, Wisconsin plant lost a fingertip in an unguarded press, its second amputation in under two months (OSHA, 2016). Source · archived copy | Not knownNo source reports the outcome of the proposed penalties or changes made at the plant. |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Alliance Laundry Holdings Form 10-K, FY2025 (SEC) · search the archive · US plants make topload and frontload washers and dryers; other plants in CZ, TH, CN make large machines; 3,923 full-time staff; USW represents 1,691 Wisconsin workers
- OSHA cites Alliance Laundry Systems after second amputation in under two months (2016) · archived copy · Wilful violation, $124,709 proposed penalties; amputations in 2015 and 2016 at Ripon
- Speed Queen AFNE9B 10kg front load washing machine (Appliances Online) · search the archive · Australian listing; country of manufacture USA
- Speed Queen 8.5kg touch control top load washer (Harvey Norman) · search the archive · Speed Queen washer listed by Harvey Norman Australia
Published by Speed Queen or its owner
- Speed Queen brand story · search the archive · More than 110 years of manufacturing in Ripon, Wisconsin; owned by Alliance Laundry Systems
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 3,923
- Last researched
- 1 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Speed Queen ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/speed-queen, last researched 1 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded appliances
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Speed Queen.