Nike Sweat Shops Essay - 707 Words

Nike Sweat Shops I am writing this letter to express my concerns over Nikes labor practices in Asia. There has been much debate and controversy recently concerning Nikes Asian labor practices. It is very difficult to determine which side of the argument to defend, as both acknowledge the problems yet put a completely different spin on the facts. I will try to show that Nike has created a cloud of smoke in Asia that the public cannot see through. Nike does not own any of the factories that produce its products in Asia, and subsequently they do not directly employ the workers or management. They contract out work to factories that make all of the products and run all of the factories. They have a massive amount of leverage when†¦show more content†¦Many of the factories that are contracted have workers and management from different countries, causing problems in communication. Some factories have Taiwanese managers while factories in Vietnam have Korean managers. To look into these issues Nike commissioned Andrew Young, a former civil rights leader and United Nations ambassador to do an analysis of how well the code was working. Young and his staff visited four factories in Vietnam, Indonesia and China for three to four hours each led by Nike?s people. When Young?s report came out to the public it proved to be very uninformative. Young said, ?Nike is doing a good job, but could do better.? Another aspect that aggravat ed the public was that Young chose not to look into the issue of wages, a large component of the Code. The reason for this ?such an exercise was well beyond the technical capacity of our small firm.? (GoodWorks, Executive Summary) About a month go a secret internal audit performed by Ernst and Young was leaked to the press. In it was information about dangerous levels of carcinogens, as well as overtime abuse suffered by workers. This information directly contradicts Young?s statement of ?clean, well-lit, ventilated factories.? This report makes it appear that Young?s report was strictly for public relations and had no real impactShow MoreRelatedNike Sweat Shops1784 Words   |  8 PagesThe athletic apparel industry in which Nike is involved is a major money maker in the United States, but the fact that none of the factories are located in North America has brought some heat to the company. Nike controls more than 40 percent of the U.S. Market for sports related goods, but doesn’t have a single sneaker factory in this country (Miller 1). Nike continues to make millions of dollars yet exploits workers overseas by paying them very little, while requiring long hours without overtimeRead MoreNikes Use of S weatshops Across the Globe Essay624 Words   |  3 PagesInternationally recognized companies such as Nike make use of sweatshops and aid in the exploitation of labor workers in many parts of the world. A sweatshop is an industrialized provision that is known to have poor working conditions, infringement of labor law, and long hours coupled with low wages. In today’s world, sweatshops are prevalent all across the globe; however they raise the most concern in developing nations. Nike is one of the world’s most renowned sportswear companies, but has beenRead MoreEssay on Globalization Is Good1443 Words   |  6 Pagescheap labor and long hours which allowed Taiwan to offer cheap goods for western markets. 2. What role have ‘Sweat Shops’ and long hours played in Taiwan’s ‘rags to riches’ story? The cheap labor and long hours of the sweat shops laid the groundwork for the prosperous future of the Taiwanese. This was encouraged by the reforming government at the time. All of these sweat shops were producing cheap goods for Western markets. 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What role have ‘Sweat Shops’ and long hours played in Taiwan’s ‘rags to riches’ story? The sweat shops were an important stage in Taiwan’s ‘rags to riches’ story. This is mainly caused by cheap labor, which sets forth an increased demand in labor. This competition drove up wages because industrialization wasRead MoreThe Ethics Of Under Armour836 Words   |  4 PagesUniversity of Maryland special team’s captain, dedicated his time to seek an innovative material that would wick the moisture and sweat from his body like compression shorts. This technology would support for a more comfortable and effective performance on the field. He found, in his experience, that the traditional cotton shirts under his gear was holding all of the sweat, resulting in Mr. Plank to change into a dry undershirt. Mr. Plank then developed the company with very limited funding. He hadRead MoreNike and Unfair Labor Practices1057 Words   |  5 PagesNike and Unfair Labor Practices I. Introduction Nike has been accused of the unfair labor practice of sweatshop labor. A sweatshop is a place with hazardous working environments, extreme temperatures and abusive employers, hence the term sweat shop. Sweatshop workers work long days exceeding 14 hours and earn less than the living wage (Britanica, n.d.). While these conditions may be shocking to Americans and Modern Western Nations the notion of abusive working conditions is more attractive toRead MoreNike s Brand Product Offerings Essay1460 Words   |  6 Pages I’m deciding to do my research paper on Nike. I chose Nike because Nike is a worldwide company. The Company designs, develops and markets footwear, equipment, apparel and accessory products, including the marketing of apparel with licensed professional and college team logos. It is the largest seller of athletic apparel and footwear in the world. The Company sells products through retail stores, Internet sales, licensees and distributors worldwide. 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B. SUBPOINT: Starting in 1850, poor families migrated to the cities where large populations could work easily in the first created sweatshirts.