Nike Sweatshops
Nike is the leading shoe and athletic apparel company in the United States and one of the largest in the world. In 1993, Nike's fiscal revenues were as large as the NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball's television deals, ticket sales, and paraphernalia sales combined. In addition to their phenomenal sales, Nike has marketed itself so thoroughly that it has literally become a household name. Over 200 of the 324 NBA players wear Nike shoes, with over 80 of them under contract to do so. 275 professional football players and 290 Major League Baseball players join them. Nike's fame however, is not limited to professional sports. Over one half of the NCAA championship basketball teams of the past decade have worn Nike shoes and apparel and the company has endorsement agreements with over 200 colleges and universities. The scope of this corporation even extends beyond the United States. Nike recently paid an unfathomable $200 million in an endorsement deal with the Brazilian National Soccer Team (State of California v. NIKE, Inc.; Nike).
This hefty sum of money seems even more outrageous given the conditions of the factories used to produce these high-dollar goods. Nike does much of its shoe production in China where workers cannot be represented by labor unions. In these factories, workers are paid $1.50 at best for a pair of shoes that sells for around $100. In attempts to improve its public image, Nike repeatedly makes claims that its workers are paid double the minimum wage. Ironically, in most cases workers actually make less than the minimum wage. In Vietnamese factories, the minimum wage is $35 per month. Most Nike workers contend to make less, and their pay stubs serve as proof. Some employees actually make as little as 300,000 dong or $25.86 per month. This leaves literally no room for savings and most workers have to seek financial assistance from relatives just to survive (Greenhouse; O'Rourke ).
The same company that paid...
View Full Essay