Labor Alerts: a service of Campaign for Labor Rights
NIKE UPDATE April 10, 1998
- ESPN program on Nike in Vietnam to replay on Saturday,
April 11
- ETAN endorses international Nike mobilization
- April Days of Action/Nike mobilization growing rapidly
- Packets still available; let us know your plans; local
contacts
- More about Dara O'Rourke
Videos of the April 2 ESPN program on Nike and Reebok labor abuses
in Vietnam are not available from the network. However, the program
will be rebroadcast on Saturday, April 11 at 12:00 p.m. EST (noon? midnight?)
Check local listings for time. Many of you will want to have your VCRs
ready to tape this important piece of telejournalism.
The East Timor Action Network, a grassroots U.S. organization in solidarity
with the people of East Timor (invaded by the Indonesian military in
1975 and still occupied 23 years and 200,000 deaths later), has endorsed
the April 18 Nike mobilization. ETAN local activists have been among
the most articulate spokespeople at Nike protests, making the connections
between the repressive Indonesian government and Nike's low-wage sweatshop
production strategy. Contact the DC office of ETAN at (202) 544-6911
or etandc@igc.apc.org. ETAN
provided the following statement:
"Through their subcontractors inside Indonesia, Nike takes
advantage of a repressive dictatorship that has always denied workers
the right to organize independently. The Suharto regime uses its military
to keep workers in line. Wages are kept at a level the Indonesian government
itself admits does not meet the minimum physical needs of a single adult
- even before the current economic collapse.
"Courageous independent labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan is currently
facing a lengthy jail sentence, possibly the death penalty, for "insulting
the President" - in Indonesia, a capital crime. Pakpahan's real crime
was organizing workers to demand wage increases and humane working
conditions.
"Pakpahan and imprisoned labor leader Dita Sari, now serving five
years for "subversion" and suffering from typhus, were also targeted
for publicly supporting the right of the East Timorese people to determine
their own future after suffering 23 years of brutal Indonesian occupation.
"Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, invaded
tiny East Timor in 1975. Since then, massacres and forced starvation
have killed over 200,000 East Timorese, or one third of the pre-invasion
population. The occupation has been condemned by ten UN resolutions,
but the U.S. government has long stonewalled their effective implementation."
Thanks to all of you local activists whose work is making the international
Nike mobilization come alive. So far, Campaign for Labor Rights has
mailed 225 action packets to local organizers. Every day, more communities
report in with their plans for April 18. We will issue an updated tally
soon. Meanwhile, two highlights:
CANADA: The Maquila Solidarity Network/Labour Behind the Label Coalition
reports that there are plans for actions in more than 10 Canadian cities!
AUSTRALIA: "People are coming out of the woodwork with lots of things
happening around Australia. There are rallies being organised by ASIET
(Australians in Solidarity with Indonesia & East Timor) in a number
of capital cities. In Sydney, there are plans to have a range of speakers
talking on Nike in Australia (the Houseworkers Code of Practice that
Nike has yet to sign), Internationally (Trade Action Group), in Indonesia
in particular (ASIET), Resistance (activists group) & CISPAN - a Latin
American Solidarity group.
"Some universities have expressed interest in holding a Nike-Free
Week from 20 April (after the Easter break).
"On Monday 20 April we are having a National Phone Nike / Email Nike
Day & hope that Nike will be inundated with calls from people after
the weekend of protests.
"As part of a big Asia Pacific Solidarity Conference being held in
Sydney over Easter - there will be speakers talking on Nike & a workshop
dedicated to planning for the 18 April & beyond."
Organizing packets are still available for April 18. But time is running
short! If you are planning a local event, please let us know about it.
Our list of local contacts is growing every day. We would be happy to
help you get in touch with others in your community and nearby communities
who either are working on April 18 events or who are likely allies for
sweatshop activism. Contact Campaign for Labor Rights at (202) 232-5002
or clr@clrlabor.org.
In our April 8 alert on the ESPN program, we neglected to mention that
Dara O'Rourke released the secret Ernst & Young audit of Nike through
the Transnational Resource & Action Center (TRAC). Be sure to check
out TRAC's Corporate Watch web site at
http://www.corpwatch.org It's a
great resource!
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