Nike Can, But Shouldn't
By Jabberwocky
Although Nike has gone on a major public relations campaign to improve its image, conditions for Nike's subcontracted factories have not substantially changed.
Nike hired the accounting firm Ernst and Young to conduct an audit of labor and environmental conditions in Vietnam. This secret report was leaked to the Transnational Resource & Action Center.
While the Ernst and Young report says Nike is in compliance with its corporate code of conduct, it simultaneously documents hazardous and unjust working conditions inside the plant.
Meanwhile the TRAC's report documents much more serious conditions than the Ernst and Young report calling on the question of the role of hired accounting firms in monitoring apparel industries.
TRAC associate, Dara O'Rourke, was able to independently document conditions at the same site as the accounting firm. O'Rourke conducted walk-through audits of environmental and working conditions, talked with management personnel, and interviewed workers confidentially outside the factory.
"I met workers inside the factory that had never been informed that the chemicals they were using to assemble Nike sneakers were toxic," said Mr. O'Rourke. "These workers were working long hours for little pay in unsafe conditions, often without protective equipment and with little or no training about other potential hazards."
Nike's code of conduct says that it will follow all laws in the countries it operates in. Even if Nike went rigidly by its code of conduct, which it often doesn't, it would still be seriously exploiting its workers because Nike locates its factories with weak labor and wage laws. Nike's workers are paid $1.60 to $1.75 a day where a basic living wage is $3 a day. In Indonesia they are paid $2.46 a day where the basic living wage is $4 a day. There is still much reason for protesting Nike.
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U.S.-Sponsored Genocide
By Jabberwocky
On December 7, 1975 Indonesia invaded East Timor. This occurred just days after East Timor gained independence from Portugal. Hours before the invasion President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met with Indonesian dictator Suharto in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital. During that meeting the United States gave Suharto the go-ahead to invade East Timor.
The brutal invasion of East Timor by Indonesia has killed more than 200,000 people, nearly one-third of the population. Documented widespread human rights abuses continue to this day. In his first year in office, President Carter ordered a 79 percent increase in military aid to Indonesia.
On November 12, 1991, 250 East Timorese were killed while demonstrating peacefully for independence. The unarmed crowd was fired upon by Indonesian soldiers using US-made M-16 rifles. Recently the Noble Peace Prize was presented to East Timorese Catholic Bishop Belo and diplomat Jose Ramos-Horta. At the same time the campaign contribution scandal, the failing of Indonesia's economy, and the Clinton Administration's failed attempt to sell F-16 fighter jets has brought to attention the US-supplied military and political support to Indonesia.
The East Timor Action Network (ETAN) was founded after the November 12 massacre in East Timor. ETAN is dedicated towards changing US policy towards Indonesia and helping East Timor self-determination.
In 1997 they helped pass legislation that bans US-supplied weapons in East Timor and held several pro-East Timor demonstrations. For more info or how you can help end Indonesia's brutal occupation of East Timor write to:
East Timor Action Network
P.O. Box 1182
White Plains, NY 10602 USA
etan-us@igc.apc.org
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Shakespeare's Pizza
Have you been harassed...
today?
By Jabberwocky
It seems lately that Shakespeare's Pizza has no regard for the young people of the community. Teenagers are continuously harassed by the management. It is true that many people hang out in front of the restaurant and a few do cause some trouble, but this is not equal to what Shakespeare's does. More than once Shakespeare's has threatened to call the police on teenagers minding their own business on the bench outside.
Even when teenagers are customers they are harassed. Someone I know was in Shakespeare's waiting for his pizza when he was told to leave for no apparent reason. Once I went into Shakespeare's to get a drink at the front counter. I was ignored by the employees there, so I went to the bar, where I was also ignored. When I saw the manager I tried to tell him about this, and he said he was too busy to help me. Another time my friends and I were going to Shakespeare's to get something to eat, and we parked in the parking lot. I must say that when I got out of the car I said a curse word kind of loudly. The old man who tends the parking lot told us to watch our language because Shakespeare's is a family restaurant. After acknowledging his warning we walked out of the parking lot and were talking to a few people we knew on the sidewalk. With no just reason the old man told us to get my friend's car out of the parking lot and to never come back.
Has Shakespeare's always been like this or has it just recently become this way? What teenagers can do about it is an even better question. I don't know what we can do about Shakespeare's continuous harassment. Many adults do not believe teenagers and always think they are guilty. It is unfortunate that Shakespeare's participates in the war on the young.
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