Web Sites Nike
Doesn't Want You to See


I think Nike's CEO Phil Knight regrets he said the things he said when I interviewed him last year at his Portland headquarters. However, instead of apologizing to American workers for saying 'Americans don't want to make shoes'; instead of apologizing to the children of Indonesia for saying he saw nothing wrong with 14-year-olds working in his factories; instead of apologizing to the Indonesian people for insulting them by calling them 'the poor little Indonesian workers'; instead of apologizing to his shareholders for admitting on camera he had never once stepped inside his Indonesian factories, Knight has chosen to create a red herring and lash out at a person who simply turned on the camera when Phil began to speak.
As Phil admits he refused to allow my camera crew to accompany us on the trip to Indonesia.
 
Phil Knight justify the use of 14-year-old workers in his overseas factories. This excerpt is from my second interview with Phil - the interview that Nike claims I misrepresented.
 
As Phil Knight refers to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as "whiplash of the wrist".
 
The revealing video clip that Nike posted and then removed from its website--Phil Knight refuses to guarantee a minimum age of 16 across the board for his Indonesian workforce.
 
A Whole Nation of PhDs You're the boss
- Just tell `em!		 You should have let me
bring the camera		 Whiplash of the Wrist I Pledge Allegiance
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Too bad I didn't have a camera on hand for this memorable moment.

After the film was completed, I was invited to a breakfast in New York with Nike's P.R. person and he said 'What do we have to do to get a couple of lines removed from the film?" I wasn't quite clear what he meant. Was this a cash offering? Were they offering me shoes for life? I didn't want to know. I said, 'Look, I'm not removing anything, but if you want I'll happily add one final scene: Nike breaking ground for a new factory or warehouse in Flint that will employ 500 people at a livable wage. I haven't heard back. As Nike confirmed to Newsweek (3/30/98).

To learn more about Nike's labor practices, hook into these websites:


The Nike Watch Campaign: Just Stop It (Community Aid Abroad)
http://www.caa.org.au/campaigns/nike/index.html
This site contains a link to subscribe to a mailing list that gives updates on Nike protests/campaigns around the world.

The Nike Sucks Ring
http://www.oeonline.com/~chevy/nike_sucks.html
This is a "web ring" which has links to 98 websites.

The Official Internet Anti-Nike Site
http://www.harborside.com/home/s/stevenm/ public_html/antinike.html
This is the "Official" site which provides frequent updates on anti-Nike campaigns.

Boycott Nike
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/5232/
This site contains a list of other anti-Nike sites:
  • Boycott Nike in Vietnam and the most Recent Updates on the International Campaign to boycott Nike.

  • Clean Clothes Campaign. A Dutch site that also carries information about other sweat shop campaigns in the clothing industry internationally. With a special focus on Indonesia.

  • The Ethical Shopper A site from New Zealand specializing in ethical consumerism. This page is on Nike in particluar and includes contacts with Nike fans as well as background links on Nikes labour practices in South East Asia.

  • JUST STOP IT!Community Aid Abroad (Australia) Nike Campaign

  • Christian Aid Special Report on The Globe Trotting Sports Shoe

  • Global Exhange Nike Campaign Site San Fransisco based web site for Fair Trade

  • The Official Internet Anti-Nike page A personal home page to critical of Nike's commercialization of Youth culture

  • The Anti-Nike Hockey Page A page on Nike's take over of Hockey equipment. Also the article "Swoosh: Will the NHL Become the Nike Hockey League" and recent Bauer updates in the Update section.
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    Articles about Nike:

    Time Magazine / March 30, 1998 Vol.151 No.20
    http://www.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/1998/ dom/980330/business.taking_a_look_i11.html