why indeed!! for answers, write to this man: Phil Knight, CEO at this address: 1 Bowerman Drive Beaverton, OR 97005 ~this man is the ceo of nike ~this man is the ceo of a corporation that controls 45% of its market, an industry leader if you will ~this man is the ceo of a corporation that has 700 sweatshops in 55 countries around the world producing sporting goods for you and i ~nike - much like reebok, adidas, the gap, old navy, j crew, tommy hilfiger, polo, ralph lauren, lotto, fila, and a host of others - pay the workers in their indonesian factories $1.25 per day - a "starving wage" - that is, barely enough for them to survive - and certainly not enough to properly support a family ~in indonesia (a major islamic country by the way) children play in open fields where scrap rubber is burned, releasing toxins and carcinogens into the air ~women who are menstruating may request "menstrual leave", two days of which are guaranteed them by law - in order to do this they must take two unpaid days from work, in a place where a doctor's visit costs a total of nine days' wages (assuming nothing else is bought those days). most often, the women bleed through their clothes rather than lose two days' wages per month ~the factory workers work 6 or 7 days a week, for about 15 hours a day - sometimes one or more 24 hour shifts in a week if the quotas are high ~these people and their children are hungry, sick, living in squalor - and working for american corporations!! is it any wonder we are hated around the world?? ~worse yet, those who try to unionize are "disappeared" - aka brutally murdered (and for women, raped) yes it is but there are some simple steps you can take to show that you will not support this kind of business practice: ~short of wearing tree bark, it will be difficult for you to find companies who do not use any sweatshop labor. that shirt from banana republic? made in guatemala? uh huh. you can try boycotting every shoe and clothing company in the mall, or ... ~tell them what you think! you are the consumer, you have a voice. cut the label out of an article of clothing, mail it to the company, and tell them that if they engage in this kind of globalization, you will no longer support the company ~be informed! there is so much more you can do! for more information, check out: www.nikewages.org educating for justice: 415 5th Avenue Belmar, NJ 07719 732.988.7322 educate4justice@aol.com |
| that's horrifying!! what can i do? |
| "Why should children be malnourished when both of their parents work for the most successful garment company in the world?" - Leslie Kretzku, anti-sweatshop activist |
| sections adapted from Nike Corporate Accountability Campaign |