Nike Abuses Vietnamese Women on Women’s Day:

Just returned from a fact-finding delegation, a Vietnam Labor Watch

representative reports the following story concerning Nike’s operations in

Vietnam. A member of the delegation, Thuyen Nguyen, verified this incident

by interviewing witnesses from the factory:

The Pouchen factory in Dong Nai has production contracts with Nike and other shoe companies. Recently, a Taiwanese supervisor forced 56 female workers to run twice around the two-km (1.2-mile) factory perimeter as punishment for failing to wear regulation company workshoes. Twelve of the women suffered shock symptoms, fainted and were hospitalized—one of them still unconscious. All 12 spent the day in the hospital.

This incident took place on March 8^th, International Women’s Day, a major holiday in Vietnam when Vietnam honors its women and many Vietnamese companies give gifts to their women workers. Nguyen noted that Nike factory managers all knew that there were Americans currently in Vietnam to investigate abuse in their factories, and even so they allowed this incident to occur. "Just imagine what happens under normal conditions," said Nguyen. "It is clear that under the current system Nike cannot control its contractors in Vietnam."

While the Vietnam Labor Watch delegation was in the country, there also were two strikes at Nike facilities in Cu Chi. These disputes concerned issues of overtime pay, arbitrarily firing of employees and firing of employees without the presence of a union representative. During Nguyen’s stay in Vietnam, the Worker newspaper published several articles about those strikes and one about another Nike factory (Sam Yang) with a history of labor abuses. The latter story concluded that Sam Yang still has several problems with its labor practices, including wages, overtime and treatment of employees.

During his stay in Vietnam, Nguyen interviewed 35 Nike workers and 25 Reebok workers with the help of Vietnamese officials. Since the Nike workers were too fearful of retaliation to talk while inside factory confines, Nguyen waited outside the gates and conducted interviews there. He received help from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, local confederations of labor, local unions at the factories and reporters. Everyone he encountered was upset about abuses at Nike factories and went out of their way to help.

Labor union officials in Vietnam said that they were urging criminal charges against the Taiwanese supervisor at the Pouchen Nike shoe factory. Vietnam has accused foreign factory managers of worker abuse on several occasions. A Korean woman manager was given a three-month suspended jail term last year for hitting Vietnamese workers on the head with a shoe.

Nike Producing in Haiti:

An article published in the Grand Rapids Press on December 15 revealed that some Nike clothing is being produced in Haiti. Nike’s contract is with the H.H. Cutler Co.—one of the same companies which is the subject of the National Labor Committee’s Disney campaign.

The GR Press story, written by Mary Ann Sabo, details what has happened since Cutler moved its operations from Michigan to Haiti in recent years. The move created misery for the Michigan workers who lost their jobs. The Haitian workers who now have those jobs also are suffering. Sabo quotes one worker who, after working at Cutler’s Haitian operation for five years, makes only 30 cents an hour:

...it’s not enough to get by on. It’s not enough to eat or send my children to school. Everything I’m trying to do doesn’t seem to bring me further in my life.

Nike Protests Continue:

Ontario, Canada. Campaign for Labor Rights activist Bill Kennedy teamed up with Julie Dwyer-Young of Development and Peace to organize a leafleting whose "participants ranged in age from 4 months to late 70s."

Eugene, Oregon. The Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network has repeatedly leafleted at a local Nike outlet.

Vancouver, British Columbia. East Timor Action Network (ETAN) handed out leaflets emphasizing "Nike’s labor practices in the third world while relating this devaluation of human lives to the situation in East Timor, where Suharto is relentlessly pursuing his genocide of the Timorese."

The Cesar Chavez Student Organization for Labor Solidarity at Western Washington University organized Nike events in Bellingham and Olympia, Washington.

San Francisco. Global Exchange organized actions around the opening of a new Nike Town store. During a Global Exchange press conference two days before the demonstration at the Nike Town opening, San Francisco Labor Council Secretary Walter Johnson called for the AFL-CIO to initiate a national boycott against Nike products until the company begins paying its workers a living wage and treating them according to international labor standards. Medea Benjamin, of Global Exchange, said, "Nike sweatshop workers in Indonesia make $2.20 a day—well below the livable wage, yet Nike continues to pour money into bloated megastores, into its CEO’s $5.2 billion hoard, and on multi-million dollar promotional contracts with rich sports stars."

Nike Adds Right of Free Association to Code of Conduct:

The Fair Trade Center (in Sweden) recently met with a spokesperson from Nike. During the meeting, Nike practiced its usual strategy of denial and disinformation. However, one positive new development did emerge. The latest Nike code of conduct is to contain the following language:

Management [will] recognize the dignity of the individual, the rights of free association and collective bargaining.

Of course, Nike already makes many fine commitments in its code of conduct, little of which does the company bother to implement. Still, the fact that Nike now officially recognizes its workers’ right to engage in union activities gives us addtional leverage with the company.

Andrew Young To Review Nike code:

According to an Associated Press story dated February 25:

Nike has hired former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young as part of an effort to counter criticism that working conditions at some of the company’s Asian factories are inhumane. Young and his GoodWorks International group are to review a new code of conduct for the shoe and apparel company’s overseas factories...

Max White, coordinator for the Portland-based Justice Do It Nike organization, said...he hopes Young is able to make an independent review and does not simply conclude what Nike wants him to conclude or see what Nike wants him to see.

In an interview with Campaign for Labor Rights, White added that the core issue is not the content of Nike’s code of conduct but its enforcement, which so far has been close to nil.

Coming Up:

UCLA protests: The UCLA Vietnamese Student Union’s Advocacy Committee is preparing for a multi-event Boycott Nike Campaign to take place during the first and second weeks of April. There are approximately 1200 Vietnamese students at UCLA.

Nike tour, May 2-23: Campaign for Labor Rights and Press for Change are organizing a 12-day speaking tour in Canada (Vancouver, Alberta and Ontario) with an Indonesian woman fired by a Nike subcontractor when she organized for her rights. Cicih Sukaesih will meet with local activists in Vancouver and at several stops in Alberta and Ontario. The tour is being generously funded by the Canadian Auto Workers Social Justice Fund and by the Alberta Federation of Labor. Planning is also underway to add tour stops in West Coast cities of the U.S.

Delegation to Indonesia, May 20-31: Global Exchange is organizing its second delegation to Indonesia, where participants will learn about the context of repression in which Nike and other transnational companies operate. From the Global Exchange newsletter: "Indonesia has achieved high economic growth rates, yet human rights abuses and suppression of democratic forces continue under th dictatorship of General Suharto. This delegation will observe the National Parliamentary Elections with local NGOs, while meeting with activists, students and government officials. Following up on our Nike and anti-sweatshop campaigns, we will also explore the role of multinational corporations. Cost is $2150 from San Francisco/Los Angeles. Late fee after April 10." Call 800-497-1994 for more information.

International mobilization: Campaign for Labor Rights and Press for Change are coordinating with groups around the world which have sports shoe campaigns. There is likely to be a major international mobilization against Nike, probably on October 18.

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