Million Dollar Nike Corp. Not Paying Workers
An opinion piece in the Seattle Times urges The University of Washington to retract its deal with Nike upon the news that the million dollar corp isn’t paying workers in Honduras. Ughhh… how appalling:
The University of Washington should re-examine its relationship with Nike because of the company’s closure of factories in Honduras without paying workers money that is owed, argue Angelina S. Godoy and James N. Gregory. Husky pride should be about more than winning games
By Angelina S. Godoy and James N. Gregory
THIS week, those who follow Central American politics have been gripped by dramatic stories of President Zelaya’s surprise return to Honduras, almost three months after he was deposed in a military coup. The unfolding turmoil in the streets of Honduras may seem a world away from the recent excitement of Husky football, but the truth is, a four-letter word connects them: Nike.
The University of Washington’s most important licensee, Nike, has been sourcing apparel from factories in Honduras for years. Yet two of its facilities, Vision Tex and Hugger, closed their doors in January, without paying their approximately 1,800 workers the terminal compensation mandated by law — in some cases, without even paying them for hours already worked. The total owed to workers tops $2.5 million.
Under the terms of Nike’s agreement with the UW and other major universities, the company is required to ensure that local and international law is upheld in the production of university apparel. In cases where the law is violated, Nike is obligated to work toward remediation. Yet in Hugger and Vision Tex, Nike first denied responsibility, and then claimed that Honduras’ political turmoil has precluded the company’s involvement in remediation.
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