 Much
attention has been paid to Nike's exploitation of workers in economically
strugglingcountries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and China. Although Nike claims
they are not responsible for much of what goes on in these sweatshops because
they work through subcontractors and thus are not directly involved, the
corporation has shown great irresponsibility and ignorance in dealing with
the matter. In fact, Nike CEO Philip Knight's arrogance in refusing
responsibility for labor practices has made him an easy target for public
outrage.
Nike has recently released a big advertising campaign in an effort to counter its negative image as a human rights violator. One ad proclaims "It's True. We routinely ignore the minimum age requirements at our factories." While it may now be true that Nike hires workers only 18 years or older, what the ad doesn't say is that Nike used to hire workers less than 18 AND that they only introduced this new policy under intense public demand. (This "responsible act" costs Nike nothing--there's plenty of workers over 18 who need jobs in economically depressed countries.) Another full-page ad announces "Good Morning Vietnam!" and congratulates Nike for its micro-loan program. Here Nike will match $75 contributions from private individuals to provide "serious venutre capital" to Vietnamese citizens. Nike claims they've issues 3200 such loans as of Nov. 1999. Nice try, Nike, but that's only $2400 in loans. How much did you spend on the ads trumpeting them? Clearly, Nike is worried about its public image. If it worried as much about its workers, industry-wide change might really happen. Countless reports show the overseas workers to be underpaid, malnourished, and often physically and emotionally abused. Although Nike contends that they are paying above Indonesian minimum wage, the $2.36 a day workers earn is not even enough to buy three simple meals, estimated at $2.10. That's not even considering the minimum $6.00 a month rent, clothing, and hygienic products every worker needs. While many Nike factories provide subsidized meals, workers could afford their own meals if they were paid a living wage. Jeff Keaty, a U.S. coach who was fired for refusing to wear a uniform with the Nike logo, is in Jakarta, Indonesia trying to live on Nike factory wages. To learn more about working conditions there, see his report at www.nikewages.org. These miserable working conditions and exploitative wages seem especially shocking considering that Nike is one of the richest corporations in the world, making Philip Knight, Nike president, the fifth richest man in America. A CBS News report found Indonesian Nike workers making a mere 20-cents a hour, while Mr. Knight's net worth is estimated to be 5.3-billion dollars, as seen on Forbes 400 Richest List for 1996. |
Nike's
hierarchy of production costs is astounding. According to the Coalition
of Labor Union Women, the 20-million dollars which Nike paid Michael Jordan
to endorse products for one year is equal to the amount they paid Indonesian
workers to produce 19 million pairs of shoes, many valued at as much as
$120 a pair.
These
are only the incidents to make headlines in America, despite attempts to
keep workers silent. We, as American consumers, have not only the responsibility
to stop these conditions, but also the choice of what athletic wear to
buy. Boycott Nike products and demand American made shoes. Write to Nike
and its spokespeople--the two biggest currently being Michael Jordan and
Tiger Woods--demanding change. For although Nike has taken minimal and
mostly symbolic (as opposed to revolutionary) steps, there is still great
change needed. Consumers must hold manufacturers and retailers responsible
for the conditions under which products--and profits--are
made. 