The following is reprinted with permission from The Associated Press. © Copyright 1996 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Activist Returns From Far East Criticizing Labor Conditions
By LINDSEY TANNER Associated Press Writer
July 23, 1996CHICAGO (AP) - The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Tuesday called Michael Jordan and other superstar athletes to join a protest over working conditions at Nike's overseas shoe factories.
Athletes, the U.S. government, labor unions and corporate executives "must all be part of an arrangement" to "even the playing field" for overseas workers who are paid as little as $1.90 a day, Jackson said after returning from a trip to the Far East.
Jackson's trip also included a Tokyo meeting with executives of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., which is accused in two lawsuits of widespread sexual harassment at its Normal, Ill. car manufacturing plant.
On Tuesday, Jackson vowed to expand protests against Mitsubishi until it agrees to settle the lawsuits and eliminate a workplace atmosphere that he says allowed sexual harassment to fester.
Jordan, Nike's star spokesman, has attempted to stay out of the fray and last month said, "Hopefully, Nike will do the right thing, whatever that might be." He could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His agent also was out of the office and unavailable for comment.
Nike rebuffed Jackson's attempt to tour one of its Indonesia shoe factories Saturday, saying it didn't want to give him a "bully pulpit" to attack the company. Its international trade counsel, Brad G. Figel, said the company is committed to ensuring its contractors treat workers fairly.
On Tuesday, Nike spokeswoman Donna Gibbs said the company has been consistently concerned with the health, safety and working conditions of workers. She said Nike requires production subcontractors to sign a memorandum of understanding that covers laws and regulations pertaining to labor health and safety standards.
Gibbs also said Nike on Monday accepted an invitation from the Clinton administration to participate in the creation of monitoring standards for domestic and overseas manufacturers. It would create a labeling system so consumers would know the products they are buying are not made in sweat shop conditions or by child labor.
"We appreciate Reverend Jackson's concerns and we are taking proactive steps to address those concerns," Gibbs said.
Meanwhile, Jackson, at an Operation PUSH news conference on Tuesday, joined by Patricia Ireland, president of the National Organization for Women, which last month protested outside Mitsubishi's annual shareholder meeting in Tokyo.
Ireland said the new training Mitsubishi announced last week to help improve conditions for women and minority employees is a sign that protests are working but that more drastic changes are needed.
"Mitsubishi management who tolerate (sexual harassment) are still collecting fat paychecks" while many women who claim they were harassed are out of work, said Ireland. She added that NOW has set up an emergency fund for the women.
Mitsubishi spokeswoman Noreen Stolte on Tuesday said the company had no comment on Jackson's plans.
Jackson, who with NOW began organizing demonstrations at Mitsubishi dealerships shortly after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's April lawsuit, said more picketing is planned nationwide this weekend.
He declined to specify how the protests would be expanded but vowed, "We will win this battle because it's morally right."