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Foe a Nike action packet or to find out who else in your community is working on the Nike campaign, contact Campaign for Labor Rights: (541) 344-5410, e-mail: CLR@igc.apc.org
Nike abuses in Malasya
A new report about labor abuses Malaysia's export zones was released by the International Confederation of Trade Unions (ICFTU). It states that Nike pays migrnt workers fromBangladesh lower wages and gives them fewer benefits then local workers. As the report points out, such pratices are in direct violation of Nike's own code of conduct, which states that neither the company nor its contractors will descriminate in salary or benefits on the basis of race or ethnic origin.
Secret Ernst and Young report leaked<
On October 31, a United Nations consultant released a confidential report written by Nike's own auditor. He had received the rport from a "disgruntled employee". This is the first time that any of Ernst and Young's secret reports to Nike has been made public. The report details a number of problems at one of Nike's factories in Vietnam, including: long hours of forced overtime at low wages and exposure to dengerous chemicals at up to 177 times the level allowed by low.
Reggie White criticizes Nike
One of Nike's highly-compendated star endorsers has criticized the company's labor pratices in Asia. reggie White, of the Green Bay Packers, also pointed out that "They'd rathe hire the cheap labor than hire the kid in the neighborhood who is buying their shoes. There are people who need jobs here."
Congressional sign-on letter to Nike
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) are among more than 50 members of the U.S. House of representatives who signed a letter to Nike CEO Philip Knight, asking the company to clean up its labor pratices in Asia. They also called upon Nike to open one complete sneaker factory in the United States.
Congressional delegation planned
Rep. Bernie Sanders of vermont is planning to help lead a Congressional delegation to check out conditions in Nike's Asian factories in January. In accepting Nike's inventation to conduct a first-hand inspectionn Sanders expects to demostrate that Andrew Young missed the real story when he toured Nike factories under the tutelage of Nike management, using traslators supplied by the company. Sanders expects the most important part of the trip to be conversations with Nike workers in the privacy of their own homes.
Sports writers criticize Nike
In several newspaper, from the New York Times to the san Francisco Chronicle, sports writers have been taking Nike to ask in recent months for its sweatshop pratices in asia. These columinists also have criticized Nike's star endorsers for their failure to stand up to the sweatshop issue. Credit for much of this recent press coverage goes to Communication Works, a press agency established by Global exchange.
Japan considering charges against Nike
Japanese officils recently raided Nike offices in Japan, looking for documents to substantiate reports that Nike has been violating anti-trust laws. According to reports, as demand for Nike shoes has slipped in Japan, the company has illegally coerced merchants into keeping Nike shoe prices at the same levels they reached during times of high demand.
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