They turn up in high-vis vests and oil-soaked cargo trousers, ready to help in whatever charitable way possible. Each gesture is a photo-op. But behind every kindly smile is a steel-toothed engine, one that pumps out diesel smoke, lobby connections, and a bottom line that dwarfs these token gestures.
EEEC: A Corporate Charity Blitz
What is EEEC? Every Employee Every Community is Cummins’ in-house taskforce for community goodwill. During slower production periods, teams of salaried volunteers fan out across towns. They pick litter in parks, box up food at banks, and paint walls for local charities. Every action staged. Every photo carefully framed. Every “volunteer hour” logged for the CSR report.
Timing Is Everything
You won’t see EEEC crews dispatched when assembly lines are busy. These goodwill tours happen during factory lulls, when idle hands can be put to PR use.
Each event is a distraction. A momentary break in production to create a headline. Then it’s back to building the engines that pollute the same communities they just “helped.”
The Media Machine
Check your local paper and you’ll find glowing headlines. Maybe things like “Cummins cares for community.” or “Engine maker lends a hand.” These aren’t always organic stories. Many are paid content. The Northern Echo, for example, receives corporate sponsorship. You get a feel-good headline. Cummins gets a reputation boost.
Goodwill vs. Emissions
While volunteers paint and pose for photos, Cummins builds diesel engines that emit nitrogen oxides and particulates. At the same time, the company is widely believed to engage in behind-the-scenes discussions with regulators over emissions rules. Community service by day. Diesel profits by night.
Why It Matters
EEEC isn’t just charity. It’s control. Every boxed meal, every painted wall, every photo op is designed to mask the real story. Emissions scandals. Diversity failures. And now, legal fallout.
When Cummins wants good press, they buy it. When they don’t, they carry on polluting in silence.
Your Turn
If you see a EEEC crew in your town, snap a photo, tag @tcumminsap, and ask:
What aren’t they showing you?
Because when the paint flakes off, the diesel stench stays.
Lee Thompson
Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project