cheapbag214s
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 Posted: Wed 0:36, 14 Aug 2013 Post subject: How We Must Take the Fight to Nike |
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How We Must Take the Fight to Nike
First,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], we need to get very clear on what we want. Neither of these phrases has any traction with the general public, nor do they have traction in Nike's cutthroat capitalist world. We need to keep it simple when discussing what we want. Nike's Indonesian workers need to tell Nike, "We want a raise. Period." They also need to tell Nike how much of a raise they want. The current basic wage for Nike's Indonesian workers is Rp1.100.000 (US$122) per month. This is a poverty wage. During my last visit to Indonesia in June, workers shared with me that they need at least Rp3.000.000 (US$333) per month to live with any sense of dignity.
How would this raise impact the cost of Nike sneakers? Nike has published that the labor costs on an average pair of sneakers is about $2.50. If that labor cost tripled because of the raise that workers asked for, and if that extra cost were passed on to consumers of Nike sneakers, it would mean that our $100 pair of Nike's would cost $105. Yeah, $5 extra bucks to lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty in the industrial slums of Indonesia. Put it on my bill Nike. I'll pay it.
4. If after the 30-day period, Nike refuses the demands of the union, then TEAM SWEAT,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], which is made up of thousands of workers, students, activists,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], investors and athletes will publicly pressure Nike until they meet the unions' demands.
Given the victory that USAS and Nike's workers in Honduras recently had, NOW is the time for Nike's Indonesian workers to hit Nike hard. Remember,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Nike said that they would never pay out severance to workers, that it was not their responsibility. But because of workers and consumers fighting together, Nike did pay out. We can make them meet workers' demands again.
To my comrades in Nike's factories in Indonesia, it is time for you to shed yourselves of the meekness that has been infused in your hearts by your colonialist past. It is time for you to stand up and fight. You are strong, smart and courageous. You are the reason that Nike makes billions of dollars in profits. Without you, there is no Nike. You can bring Nike to their knees and you have an army of supporters in the international community waiting to fight with you. So act. Now.
I personally cannot understand how ANYBODY'S sneakers ever became "status" symbols,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]. I have a family member who displays his in a rack in his living room - literally HUNDREDS of dollars worth - like they were bottles of fine wine!
He bought a pair of WHITE Nikes for his SIX-YEAR-OLD son and told him not to get them dirty!
They're SNEAKERS, for God's sake!
I NEVER pay more than twenty dollars for a pair of sneakers - and couldn't care less what brand they are.
But then again - I never wear any other clothing with logos, either.
What is wrong with this country,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]?
The article states that it costs Nike $2.50 to make their shoes if you assume it costs another $2.50 to send them here, advertize, pay their store clerks, etc, why are we paying $100 a pair? $90 a pair profit is excessive. The American consumer keeps being told that companies need to produce their products oversea to keep their prices low,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but they keep charging prices like their products were made in this country by union labor. Does nayone know how to find out what what Nike paid in corporate income taxes to our government last year. If they are like most companies it was Zero! I bet that they claimed that all of their profits were made overseas. But without the access to the American market and American consumers paying $100 a pair,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], they cannot make that kind of profit anywhere else in the world.
Why don't you do a little research before you continue to regurgitate the uninformed opinions of Jim Keady and his ilk. For starters, it costs a whole lot more than $2.50 to manufacture the shoes, and even more to cover the costs associated with bringing those shoes to market. In addition, Nike sells the shoes to retailers for half of the retail cost. The markup that retailers charge covers store expenses like rent, advertising, and workers wages. And for your information, Nike paid corporate income taxes in excess of $600 MILLION last year. Get a clue.
To be clear, I did not say that it cost $2.50 to manufacture a pair of Nike shoes. I said that the labor cost is $2.50. The entire cost, as per figures PUBLISHED BY NIKE, is $16.25. This information FROM NIKE is actually misleading. When I met with factory managers in Indonesia last summer while on a Nike-guided tour, I was told that the actual total cost per unit is more around $10-11 per pair on average and that Nike had been paying that amount to the plants for almost 20 years. This information was gathered in the presence of Nike's Director of Sustainable Business and Innovation, Caitlin Morris. If you have an alternative set of data from Nike or one of their suppliers, please publish it, I would very much like to see it. Thank you. Peace, Jim Keady
Re: the "last fiasco" - here's a hypothetical for you. Let's say you were building a house, and you hired a general contractor. Upon completion of the house,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], you paid the general contractor and moved in. Later on, along comes the plumbing subcontractor who says that the general contractor never paid him,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], and he demands that you pay him. I know, I know, there are contractor's liens and bonds and all that - like I said,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], it's a hypothetical -- but answer me this: Would you pay the plumbing subcontractor? Of course you wouldn't, and anyone who says that they would do so has a problem with the truth. Well that's exactly what happened to NIKE in Honduras. And as a shareholder,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I think it was flat wrong. It was extortion, plain and simple.
Are you aware of the public statements that Phil Knight has made with regard to Nike's responsibility for these overseas workers? He has stated that Nike has a "moral" responsibility for their well-being. And a former Nike VP, Dusty Kidd, is also on the record stating that, "It's real simple, Phil Knight kind of defined it two years ago, those workers, we should consider them NIKE EMPLOYEES (emphasis mine). So that is our responsibility." If Nike considers these overseas workers their employees, as per Mr. Kidd's statement, then these workers have every right to seek redress from Nike. It would seem that in your case,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], some information asymmetry exists between Nike executives and at least one of their shareholders. If you are troubled by the fact that Nike is now being held accountable for their public claims with regard to factory conditions,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I would suggest that you take it up at the upcoming shareholder meeting. You will not be able to speak however,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Nike does not allow for open public comment and discussion at the meetings. You will have to submit your question in writing and hope that they choose it from the pile. Peace, Jim Keady
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