The OREGONIAN yesterday concluded its three-part
series, "Nike: Tracks Across The Globe," by Jeff Manning.
In part three, Manning looked at Nike's role among many
multinationals "forging controversial ties with the Third
World." Manning: "Today, the top two Nike-producing nations
are China and Indonesia -- countries that use the machinery
of the state to ensure that multinational companies get a
stable, low-cost work force. ... Powerful companies come
into contact with these governments as a result of
globalization, the fast-moving economic engine that brings
developed-world corporations into some of the world's most
impoverished countries. For the United States, the changing
global economy raises emotional questions about America's
role in the Third World." Nike Chair Phil Knight said that
"globalization raises a host of legitimate operational and
political questions." Knight: "Some of the things these
radical groups are asking for, yeah, they're not economical
and not feasible. But I think the issue is probably well-
served, and American companies have an obligation to be good
citizens" (Jeff Manning, Portland OREGONIAN, 11/11).
BABY STEPS? In part two, Manning wrote, "In the
escalating battle between Nike and its critics, the
activists appear to have seized the momentum. ... The furor
builds despite unprecedented actions taken by Nike to defuse
the publicity bomb. The company has cut off some small
subcontractors for failure to comply with its internal labor
standards. It has launched significant programs to improve
conditions in its subcontractors' factories. It even gave
$25,000 to finance a women's business loan program in
Vietnam. Longtime critics in the human rights and labor
community have noticed the difference" (OREGONIAN, 11/10).
