A coalition of women's groups, which includes NOW and
the Ms. Foundation for Women, "has attacked Nike as
hypocritical" for running new TV commercials that feature
female athletes, while alleging the company pays "its
largely female overseas work force poorly," according to
Steven Greenhouse of the N.Y. TIMES. In a letter to Nike
CEO Phil Knight, the coalition wrote, "While the women who
wear Nike shoes in the United States are encouraged to
perform their best, the Indonesian, Vietnamese and Chinese
women making the shoes often suffer from inadequate wages,
corporal punishment, forced overtime and/or sexual
harassment." Nike Labor Issues spokesperson Vada Manager
said the women's groups "misunderstood Nike's role." In
Asia, its factories "pay considerably more than do most
factories in those countries." The commercials "show women
saying they will be stronger, healthier and more independent
if they are allowed to play sports" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/26).
USA TODAY's Dottie Enrico reports that the 15 women's
organizations will hold a press conference Tuesday "urging"
Knight to "increase wages and hire an independent local
investigator" at Nike overseas factories (USA TODAY, 10/27).
