Nike's Track Record

by Alan Pittman

Indonesian daily Media Indonesia runs three-day report on abuses at shoe factories. Headline second day: "World Shoe Giants Rape Worker Rights."

Thames TV (UK),The Economist and Knight Ridder report on poor working conditions at Nike contractors in Indonesia.

U.S. State Department report to Congress on Human Rights highlights shoe factories' refusal to pay Indonesia's minimum wage.

Nike formulates "Code of Conduct and Memorandum of Understanding" for contractors.

Critical reports in New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Economist and Jakarta Post.

Sneaker campaigns undertaken in Holland, Italy and Germany

Strike at Pou Chen Indonesian factory.

CBS-TV (US) broadcasts highly critical report on Nike-contractors' labor practices in Indonesia.

Nike hires accounting firm, Ernst and Young to do "social audits" at Indonesia-based contract factories.

Donald Katz' book Just Do It characterizes Indonesian operations as "management by terror and browbeating." CEO Knight appears with Katz for Portland book-signing.

Press for Change study in Indonesia documents wage cheating by employers.

Strikes at Pou Chen, Pratama Abadi, Nagasakiti Paramshoes and Tae Hwa factories in Indonesia.

Major investigative reports in Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune expose poor working conditions at Nike's Indonesia factories.

U.S. A.I.D.-sponsored research finds that more than 500 workers at Nike-producing factory in Majalaya, W. Java report problems such as forced overtime and illegal wage deductions.

Strike leads to dismissal of 13 activists at Pou Chen.

Washington-based Multinational Monitor names Nike to annual "Ten Worst" list.

New research by Press for Change in Indonesia uncovers widespread violations of Nike's own "Code of Conduct."

Fair labor advocates submit "anti-sweat" resolution to Nike shareholders meeting.

Kathie Lee Gifford controversy brings unprecedented media attention to sweatshop issue.

White House forms "Apparel Industry Partnership" to deal with sweatshop issues. Fired worker from Nike-producing factory in Indonesia is denied chance to speak at AIP's founding conference.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson is refused visit to Nike-producing factory while in Indonesia.

Canadians and French send hundreds of thousands of protest post cards to Nike.

Brutal political and labor union crackdown in Indonesia.

Nike sends five-page letter to universities across North America to "explain" child labor controversy.

Several Nike shoe contractors in Indonesia apply for exemptions from paying new minimum wage in Indonesia. Increase is from $2.25 to $2.46 a day.

Strikes by thousands of Nike-producing workers in Vietnam.

Portland's Jobs With Justice helps to organize big May Day protest at Nike store.

Nike hires former UN Ambassador Andrew Young to tour Asian factories. Young uses Nike translators and his report is viewed by fair labor advocates as shallow and unhelpful.

Protests conducted at new Nike store openings in Seattle, San Francisco and Boston.

Massive protest and three-day strike at Garuda Indawa factory in Indonesia.

Asian economic crisis and crash of Indonesian currency brings Nike contractors' per-day labor cost down from $2.50 a day to $.70 per worker.

Campaign for Labor Rights organizes world-wide day of protest concerning Nike's labor practices. Actions in 50 cities.

Berkeley-based Transnational Resource Action Center releases report documenting severe health problems at Nike shoe factory in Vietnam.

Student protests against Nike links with universities erupt at University of Illinois, Penn State, University of North Carolina, Colorado, Florida State, Michigan and others.

Unions leave White House panel on sweatshops due to irreconcilable differences on monitoring and reporting compliance. Filmmaker Michael Moore interviews Phil Knight for movie, "The Big One."

Nike announces pay increase (25 percent) for Indonesian shoe workers, but adjusting for high inflation, worker wages are still 30% behind mid-1997 figure.

Michael Jordan, Nike's premier endorser, makes the first of several promises to visit Asian production facilities.

Julia, a worker at Nike-producing "Formosa" factory in El Salvador, is beaten and fired for taking a day off to care for her sick child.

Hero of E. Timor independence struggle, Jose Ramos Horta, likens Nike contractors' operations in Indonesia to Japanese occupation of the archipelago.

Government survey of 175 businesses in Vietnam shows that shoe factories have largest wage/salary disparities (line workers compared to management).

Under pressure from students, Nike agrees to disclose factory locations where university-licensed apparel is being produced. Vietnam survey shows that worst manufacturing pay rates are in footwear sector.

Nike increases advertising spending by 53 percent for coming year.

Nike factory in Vietnam was scene of country's largest food-poisoning incident of the year.

UO joins the Worker Rights Consortium, a sweatshop monitoring group started by labor and student activists.

Phil Knight angrily cancels planned $30 million gift to UO.