the problem with sustainability

 i recognize this is a major venting. be patient.

Sustainability - Definition

Sustainability is an economic, social, and ecological concept. It is intended to be a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society and its members are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals indefinitely. Sustainability affects every level of organization, from the local neighborhood to the entire globe. It is a sometimes controversial topic. ( http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Sustainability )

This definition isnt the only one, but if you copy and paste the link, you will find some really good reading considering the idea and concept of sustainability. essentially, it is the ability to keep things as they are or better, for all parties and things involved.

why is this my issue? because a business owes me a lot of money, acknowledgement, and promised ownership. i worked for 2 years for a company that has flown the "sustainability" flag since i started working with them. i gave them the opportunity to create certain relationships at their supply level that changed the business opportunity and the direction in which the business was going. i gave them sustainability for the biggest portion of what their business is, and yet they have refused to acknowledge the fact, have refused to pay me the money that they have agreed they owe me, and have refused to give me the ownership that was promised me, while at the same time becoming the darlings of their industry. as i sit here now, im staring at a magazine cover of the owner, and 2 days ago they announced another retail location in another large city, and have started selling their products into a very large retailer, all of which i had a hand in creating the opportunity.

i am also quite bothered on how so many of their employees are being taken advantage of, like me, in not being valued by either personal communication or by pay scale (basically minimum wage) or by working more hours than being paid. recently, several of the employees have been given a lot more responsibility without a pay increase. how can this be sustainable?

how is taking advantage of employees and vendors sustainable?