Representatives of the newly formed Athletes for Economic Justice in the Workplace asked the press to quiet down as Grant Hill, Emmit Smith and Cal Ripken approached the podium overloaded with microphones. "From this day forward, we will not endorse any items produced through the exploitation of workers. It is unconscionable to us that labor costs for an $80 pair of Nike sneakers is 12 cents. Until child labor is eliminated, a worker's right to organize is respected, and fair wages are paid, we will no longer be part of endorsement arrangements where athletes receive ungodly compensation due in large measure to the disregard of basic human and labor rights. Our names will not be used to sell products that enrich the few through the suffering and exploitation of thousands of workers worldwide."

One can only hope the fantasy press conference above will become reality. But, as Barry Sanders weaves through his opponents into the end zone or Michael Jordan soars over his on the basketball court, they probably do not worry about the women and children earning a pittance manufacturing the athletic shoes they're wearing. When it comes to mistreating workers and ignoring basic human/worker rights, superstar athletes are as guilty as the companies they represent in multimillion dollar athletic shoe endorsement deals. There's no business like shoe business.

From football to baseball, pro-athletes receive a lot of money to sport a Nike swoosh or Reebok logo on sneakers, wrist bands and jerseys all in the name of advertising and lucrative endorsement contracts. A professional athlete may have just a few years of earning power based on their performance, and product endorsement contracts provide a few superstars an opportunity to earn more than their astronomical salaries. No person should be criticized for wanting to reach their maximum earning potential.

However, we look forward to the day where this standard applies to workers as well as athletes, and when no person is abducted, raped and murdered like a young Indonesian woman who tried to organize a strike for a fair hourly wage. She was demanding Nike pay at least the lousy Indonesian minimum wage to women working more than 60 hours a week making sneakers. An estimated 1 percent of Nike's advertising budget could double the wages of these Indonesian women lifting them out of poverty, but Nike insists on spending more to give sneakers away in promotions than paying a fair hourly wage.

Athletic apparel companies and superstar athletes make obscene profits by violating the world's workforce with ignorance and greed. From Indonesia to China, women and children toil in sweatshops earning substandard wages. These workers cannot meet basic needs, and are restricted by their governments from organizing effective unions to demand better wages and working conditions. While these workers labor an average of 16 hours a day and search for ways to feed their families, professional athletes cash in on endorsement deals to maintain lavish lifestyles. These athletes need to spend a few minutes thinking about basic economics in addition to morality. There is a direct correlation between exploiting workers in these countries and American job loss. As long as American corporations can do business in countries with low wages, no benefits, no workplace regulations and policies preventing labor from organizing, we will continue to lose American jobs. American workers without jobs are not going to attend athletic events or buy endorsed athletic products.

Apparently, the only people who can 'just do it' or live on planet Reebok are athletes and sporting goods executives. Buy our product and you will throw like Troy Aikman, serve like Pete Sampras or dunk like David Robinson. Like it or not, pro-athletes are role models for the next generation, and it is time for our nation's athletes to take a stand and 'just do' what is right and fair. They must not 'just do it' in an ad, but do it by standing up for human rights and economic justice issues. If a group of professional athletes declined sneaker endorsements, then tomorrow's Shaquille O'Neal, Jim Kelley and Andre Agassi might understand the need to treat people with decency and respect.

Many of today's pro-athletes use their star status to help worthy causes from keeping drugs out of our schools to sponsoring Special Olympians. However, America's businesses are not jumping at an opportunity to eliminate sweatshops which increase their bottom line. The responsibility is on America's pro-athletes to make a difference by refusing to deal with companies who abuse workers both foreign and domestic. In China, Indonesia, or Bangladesh workers making cleats, wrist bands and basketball sneakers need a group of high profile individuals from the wealthiest nation on earth to act against horrible working conditions and human rights violations. Any great athlete knows the value of hard work. Professional athletes must hold athletic apparel companies, whose products they endorse, to higher ethical standards, and demand these companies compensate all of their employees for hard work whether on the playing field or in the factory.

The athletes closed their press conference with the following statement, "From now on, we will encourage America's youth to reject products made through human suffering. We will ask them to stand beside us and endorse our new message ó use you buying power to promote economic justice and end exploitation. Please, think before you buy."

George Nee is Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.