Nike Sweat Shops - 1784 Words

The athletic apparel industry in which Nike is involved is a major money maker in the United States, but the fact that none of the factories are located in North America has brought some heat to the company. Nike controls more than 40 percent of the U.S. Market for sports related goods, but doesn’t have a single sneaker factory in this country (Miller 1). Nike continues to make millions of dollars yet exploits workers overseas by paying them very little, while requiring long hours without overtime pay in factories that are not up to â€Å"American† standard. Nike subcontractors employ nearly 500,000 workers in plants in Indonesia, China and Vietnam (Saporito 1). The exploitation of workers in Third World counties, where the majority of Nike’s†¦show more content†¦The short answer is no, because corporations pay the going rate for labor whereever they are.† (Saporito 1) If this statement is true Nike pays the wage for the country the factory is in, then what is the controversy about? Much of it stems from the overtime that these workers are forced to work without over time compensation. Here in the United States there are regulations placed on businesses that require then to compensate their workers with a higher wage for over time hours. So since Nike is an U.S. based company should Nike have to pay overtime? The answer is no. Nike doesn’t have to pay overtime like here in the U.S. so they don’t. In Vietnam â€Å"Workers so want a reduction in overtime, the length of annual leave for the Indonesian workers making Nike shoes is more than 30 days though dozens of workers interviewed in November, said the actual amount is 10 days.† (Ballinger 2) There has been evidence of Nike breaking at least nine labor laws in China according to AMRC; a Hong Kong based human rights group that has been monitoring the abuse of human rights in China for the last 20 years. â€Å"Children as young as 13, were found employed i n Nike factories, working from 144-192 overtime hours per month to make ends meet.† (Designer 1) Ernest and Young, an accounting firm, hired by Nike, to do research and the issue reported conditions in Vietnam â€Å"where young women toil sixty-five hour weeks for $10, in air so bad that 78 percent of the employees have respiratoryShow MoreRelated Nike Sweat Shops Essay707 Words   |  3 PagesNike Sweat Shops I am writing this letter to express my concerns over Nikes labor practices in Asia. There has been much debate and controversy recently concerning Nikes Asian labor practices. It is very difficult to determine which side of the argument to defend, as both acknowledge the problems yet put a completely different spin on the facts. I will try to show that Nike has created a cloud of smoke in Asia that the public cannot see through. Nike does not own any of the factories thatRead MoreNikes Use of Sweatshops Across the Globe Essay624 Words   |  3 PagesInternationally recognized companies such as Nike make use of sweatshops and aid in the exploitation of labor workers in many parts of the world. A sweatshop is an industrialized provision that is known to have poor working conditions, infringement of labor law, and long hours coupled with low wages. In today’s world, sweatshops are prevalent all across the globe; however they raise the most concern in developing nations. Nike is one of the world’s most renowned sportswear companies, but has beenRead MoreEssay on Globalization Is Good1443 Words   |  6 Pagescheap labor and long hours which allowed Taiwan to offer cheap goods for western markets. 2. What role have ‘Sweat Shops’ and long hours played in Taiwan’s ‘rags to riches’ story? The cheap labor and long hours of the sweat shops laid the groundwork for the prosperous future of the Taiwanese. This was encouraged by the reforming government at the time. All of these sweat shops were producing cheap goods for Western markets. The work was indeed long and hard but it was a crucial step inRead MoreNike: The Sweatshop Debate Essay1195 Words   |  5 Pagesglobal business presented in the Nike sweatshop debate case study. The paper determines the various roles that the Vietnamese government played in this global business operation. This paper summarizes the strategic and operational challenges facing global managers illustrated in the Nike sweatshop case. Nike: The Sweatshop Debate Case Study This paper describes the legal, cultural, and ethical challenges that confronted the global business presented in the Nike sweatshop debate case studyRead MoreDiscussion Questions for Globalization Is Good Followed by Discussion Questions on Global Village or Pillage1154 Words   |  5 Pagesown piece of land, this encouraged them to make their land better and more sustainable financially speaking. The government gave them this land, which was a catalyst for development. 2. What role have ‘Sweat Shops’ and long hours played in Taiwan’s ‘rags to riches’ story? The sweat shops were an important stage in Taiwan’s ‘rags to riches’ story. This is mainly caused by cheap labor, which sets forth an increased demand in labor. This competition drove up wages because industrialization wasRead MoreThe Ethics Of Under Armour836 Words   |  4 PagesUniversity of Maryland special team’s captain, dedicated his time to seek an innovative material that would wick the moisture and sweat from his body like compression shorts. This technology would support for a more comfortable and effective performance on the field. He found, in his experience, that the traditional cotton shirts under his gear was holding all of the sweat, resulting in Mr. Plank to change into a dry undershirt. Mr. Plank then developed the company with very limited funding. He hadRead MoreNike and Unfair Labor Practices1057 Words   |  5 PagesNike and Unfair Labor Practices I. Introduction Nike has been accused of the unfair labor practice of sweatshop labor. A sweatshop is a place with hazardous working environments, extreme temperatures and abusive employers, hence the term sweat shop. Sweatshop workers work long days exceeding 14 hours and earn less than the living wage (Britanica, n.d.). While these conditions may be shocking to Americans and Modern Western Nations the notion of abusive working conditions is more attractive toRead MoreNike s Brand Product Offerings Essay1460 Words   |  6 Pages I’m deciding to do my research paper on Nike. I chose Nike because Nike is a worldwide company. The Company designs, develops and markets footwear, equipment, apparel and accessory products, including the marketing of apparel with licensed professional and college team logos. It is the largest seller of athletic apparel and footwear in the world. The Company sells products through retail stores, Internet sales, licensees and distributors worldwide. The Company produces all of its footwear and apparelRead MoreEssay on Sweatchop in Indonesia600 Words   |  3 Pagesdeveloping countries, such as Indonesia and Bangladesh. Companies or corporations choose to do their manufacturing process in these countries because of the cheap labor, availability of productive workers and the lack of law on working conditions. Nike; a famous sport brand, has a long history with this ethical issue. The problem emerged in 1991, after â€Å"Jeff Ballinger publishes a report documenting low wages and poor working conditions in Indonesia† (Nisen 2013, p. Online). The workers were paidRead MoreHuman Sweatshops Outline1512 Words   |  7 Pagesthe later years (1900s) because of rising issues. A. SUBPOINT: The definition of a human sweatshop is mixed all around, but all together have similar connections. 1. According to Webster’s Dictionary (2012), a sweatshop is a shop or factory in which employees work for long hours at low wages and under unhealthy conditions. B. SUBPOINT: Starting in 1850, poor families migrated to the cities where large populations could work easily in the first created sweatshirts.