8-30-00
Please allow me to apologize to all of you, our friends, supporters and family members for our less than timely posting of journal entries of late. We have spent the past few days in Jakarta compiling, processing and packaging the work we have done over the last month. We have also needed to conduct some last minute interviews with labor leaders and factory workers so that we are completely prepared for the next leg of our project in Sydney.
Today we were lucky enough to spend a few hours at the Reuters' studio with Des Wright, the reporter who has been working on our story. What an incredible few hours! Des showed us what he had shot with us last week and then took some time to show us some of explosive footage he has shot in and around Jakarta in the past two years. I have never seen anything like it. You can be sure that we in the United States never ever see this type of reporting. The violence was brutal. Please do not misconstrue what I mean when I say the violence was brutal. The violence is brutal. It is a constant threat here. The entire country is enveloped with an air of volatility. These newsreels we saw today left me awestruck. They showed university students being beaten and kicked while lying on the ground in surrendering, submissive positions. They showed police arbitrarily firing round after round of machine gun fire into crowds of students and demonstrators. Now don't get me wrong, the students were not quietly sitting around drinking beers and talking about college football when they were attacked. They were demonstrating and in the heat of the moment some turned to throwing rocks and charging police with sticks. But sticks, rocks and their unbridled desire to remove a corrupt regime were all they had to combat the AK-47 machine guns, tear gas, grenades and tanks of the former dictator's army. This did not stop them; they were too driven and are too driven to reach their goal. They want an end to the corruption, collusion and nepotism that plagues their country. They want democracy.
Yes, they want democracy and that is the last thing American corporations like Nike want to see happen here. Regardless of what lip service American business leaders may offer to the public, they know that a well functioning democracy is bad for maximizing profit. The type of raw capitalism that Nike employs in its factories in Indonesia and elsewhere in the developing world is a threat to human dignity and the American democratic ideal. This type of corporate analysis I offer now is not new.
"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country… corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war." (Abraham Lincoln, 1865)
We have heard so much great feedback from all of you who have visited our website or heard us on the radio during interviews we have given. We hope all of you will have the courage and commitment to listen to the cautioning words of Lincoln and take up the call of yet another historic leader.
"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." (Thomas Jefferson, 1816)
Yes, we hope you will have the courage and commitment to struggle and ensure that the democracy that was won by the blood, sweat and tears of our foremothers and forefathers is not put in jeopardy by the small minority that benefit from the oppressive and exploitative business practices of companies like Nike.
In the next few days we will post very concrete ways you can join in this struggle to ensure that the democratic ideal we cherish so dearly is not compromised by the greed of a few. In the next few days we will give you very concrete ways to guarantee that your children and your children's children will inherit a world that is free, just and representative of all that is best in the human spirit.
Peace, Jim
8-24-00
"Dream Houses"
We went off today to shoot some "b-roll" for our documentary. If you don't know what "b-roll" is, don't feel bad, I didn't know either until we started planning this project. "B-roll" is the footage you shoot to fill in the gaps between your interviews, major shots, etc. We had a few things on our list to shoot, including a "middle class" neighborhood.
I had been to this neighborhood before. Leslie, Leily and I happened upon it when we were wandering around Tangerang two weeks ago. I had noticed something different about how I felt the first time I was here and I felt this way again. We had been walking around for about twenty minutes when it dawned on me what it was. I was feeling relaxed, comfortable… human. Yes that was it: I was feeling like human being. What was it that made me feel this way? I stopped, I looked around, and I knew.
The sun was shining. It was quiet. The air was not filled with the foul stench of burning garbage and human feces. There were no rats. There were no chickens. The sewers were covered. The streets were clean, wide and paved. There were trees. There were flowers. There was grass. The houses had walls without holes and did not seem as if they would collapse in a strong wind. This was a neighborhood, not a slum; this was a place where human beings could live, not just survive.
As we continued to walk I asked Leily if this is what factory workers wanted, if this is where they wanted to live? She said, "No, they wouldn't even dream of this." They would not, they could not; dream of a life in a simple, clean, healthy community. No, they could not even dream of this. Why? They work for Nike.
Peace, Jim
8-23-00
Dreaming the possibilities
I got an e-mail today that included the same question I have heard a thousand times, "If Nike weren't in Indonesia, what else would those people be doing?" I guess the rhetorical response I posted a few days ago to address this question didn't quite satisfy everyone. I wondered why not? I also wondered why people always tend to ask this question with a "worst case scenario" approach. "If they didn't have those jobs they would be starving." Is it possible to consider a scenario that sees the possibilities of a better world and not a worse one? Is it possible to dream? Isn't this what the human spirit is all about?
It dawned on me that perhaps it is necessary to invite people to do this. Perhaps it is as simple as that; asking people to imagine a world where all human beings live together harmoniously. And once they have imagined it, ask them to take it a step further and act on it. We can do it. We can change the world! It is only a matter of asking a different set of questions and then working to find the answers to them. The first thing that must happen is the discarding of the question that does nothing to improve the situation of our brothers and sisters here.
"If Nike weren't there, what else would those people be doing?"
Hear me now… this question will no longer be asked. It limits the possibilities. It limits our ability to dream. It limits our commitment to establishing a world where all persons live freely and are granted the dignity that is their human birthright. How do we begin to change this situation?
The first thing we each have to do is ask questions of Nike CEO, Phil Knight.
"Mr. Knight, is it morally acceptable for workers in your factories to be paid a wage that undermines their human dignity?"
"Mr. Knight, is it morally acceptable for workers in your factories to be refused to right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions?"
"Mr. Knight, is refusing to recognize these two basic human rights (the payment of a living wage and the right to organize), a violation of the United Nation's Declaration of Human Rights?"
Now that we have asked these questions of Mr. Knight, there are questions that we must look in the mirror and ask ourselves.
"Do I believe it is morally acceptable for athletes and shareholders to benefit from a company that violates the rights of its workers and maximizes its profits by doing so?"
"Do I own stocks in companies like Nike that have questionable labor practices? If so, is it just for me to personally benefit from the exploitation of others?"
"What will I do today to help my brothers and sisters in Indonesia?"
"How will I let my voice be heard so that Nike knows I do not approve of their violation of the dignity of the human family?"
"What will I do today to bring my lived actions more in line with my claimed beliefs?"
These are the new questions we will ask and will seek to answer in a radical way. Working to answer questions like these defines what it means to be truly human. We can do it. It will take great sacrifice and incredible courage, but we can do it. We can change the world. In each of us there is a hero. In each of us there is a passionate spark of hope that tells us "I can make the sacrifice, I have the courage, I can really make a difference." We celebrate people throughout history who have done this; people who have used the spark within themselves to ignite revolutions of change; people who were willing to sacrifice so that all of us would inherit a better world. You know these people, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Archbishop Romero, Ita Ford, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandella, Dorothy Day, Jesus of Nazareth. You can be one of them. You know you can. Just do it.
8-22-00
Compiling Research
We spent most of today organizing the research we have done to this point. There is so much that needs to be processed and packaged. Other than the constant feelings of hunger, fatigue, headaches and general discomfort, there is not much else to report about today. Please make sure to check the site in the upcoming week or so to view the results of our current research.
Peace, Jim
8-21-00
A travel day from Jakarta to Tangerang...
Peace, Jim
8-20-00
"Inhumanity"
We had the most incredible afternoon interviewing workers from PT Lintas, a Nike factory in Bekasi. I had read the accounts, I had written a research paper about it, but today I received the unedited truth from two courageous young women about the reality of the workers' labor situation. To give you the short of it, Nike is lying or distorting the truth about every labor issue here in Indonesia.
One of the first things I asked the women was what they thought about Phil Knight, President and CEO of the Nike Corporation. They had never heard of him. Surprising? I explained who he was and told them that he had never been to Indonesia. I also told them about his refusal to accept a free trip here that was offered him by Michael Moore. (Rent the video "The Big One".) I then asked them what they thought of Phil Knight. One of the women said,
"He doesn't tell the truth, that's why he doesn't want to come." "He is a selfish man."
As our conversation went on I wanted the women to understand how they and their situation are perceived by many in the general public in America. To accomplish this I played the role of Phil Knight for a period of time during the interview. I peppered the women with questions and comments that I believe are in the spirit of the information posted on Nike's website and in the spirit of questions people have asked me about the workers. They did not enjoy this exchange. To say that their passion and frustration was intense would be an understatement. The air was filled with their feelings of anger and contempt. Even I felt sorry for Phil. (Note: the name of the worker was changed to protect them.)
Aya: "Do we deserve this little money… working like slaves?"
Phil: "Are you saying you work like slaves?"
Aya: "Yes. We work hard everyday and don't get any results. We don't make enough money."
Phil: "If you think of yourselves as slaves, what does that make me?"
Aya: "YOU ARE INHUMAN!"
I hope and pray that Mr. Knight reads this and that he hears the cries of all the human beings that work so hard to create his fortune.
Peace, Jim
p.s. The full transcript of this interview should be posted in the next week in our new "Research" section. Please return to the site to read it in its entirety.
8-19-00
"Reporting the Truth"
I spent yesterday morning sorting through some of the research we have compiled to this point. Below are the results of one of the group interviews we conducted with workers. Group interviews such as this are one of the methods we have employed to gather information about the lived realities of the workers. Once you have read through the material below I invite you to visit Nike's website, www.nikebiz.com, and compare our findings to the findings of Nike's "independent" monitors.
Group Interview
PT ADIS workers
1. What is your name?
They were afraid to have their names reported for fear of retribution by factory management. There were five men and one woman.
2. How old are you?
Ages ranged from 21 – 25
3. What village are you from?
They were from villages in West and Central Java.
4. When you came here from your village, what did you bring?
They brought their "papers" (documentation of identity and high school diploma), clothes, and a small amount of money ranging from 9000-50000Rp.
5. What job could/would you do if you weren't working at the factory?
They would do "homework" sewing, carpentry, farming, or run a family business.
6. Why did you take this job?
One responded "To survive!" and they all agreed. They also all said that work at their old jobs is not steady.
7. When is the last time you saw your family?
They each see their families once a year at the Muslim holiday.
Expenses
1. How much money do you send home each month?
Cannot send any money home monthly. Just try to save money for the trip home during the Muslim holiday.
2. How much money do you have saved right now?
None of them had any money saved. One worker needed to take a loan of 5000Rp to eat the other day.
3. How much does it cost to travel to your village?
The average travel cost for the trip home to see their family is 50000Rp.
4. How much do you spend on food each day?
On average they spend 7000-10000Rp, if they have it available.
5. How many meals a day do you eat?
They try to eat 3 meals per day.
6. What do your meals consist of?
They eat rice and vegetables for every meal.
7. Can you afford to purchase clothing?
No. The only way they can purchase new clothing is on credit.
8. How much do you spend on housing?
On average they spend 80000Rp per month for rent. The one married couple in the group has not been able to pay their rent for two months.
9. How much do you spend on water and electricity?
Water and electricity are included in their rent.
10. Could you afford a doctor visit?
No. None of them had ever had a basic check-up, the woman, who is 22, had only been to the gynecologist once, and one of the six had ever been to a dentist.
11. If you broke your leg, contracted malaria, pneumonia, etc… what would happen?
Each said they would need to take a loan to pay for the doctor's care.
Working Conditions
1. What are you making?
They are all involved in the manufacturing of Nike tennis shoes and baby sneakers.
2. What is your production quota during a slow/busy period?
High period = 2000 pieces per day / Low period = 1300 pieces per day
3. How many toilets are there in the factory? How many people are they for?
The number is different for different sections: 5 for 2000, 6 for 500, 9 for 1000, 3 for 350 (two are broken). They all said that there is not enough clean water for the toilets.
4. Do you work with chemicals? What kind?
Yes. One worker said he works with polyurethane. The woman worker said she uses R105, a glue compound. She went on to tell us that she was told to lie to independent monitors and say that she uses R107 because R105 is more harmful and is not supposed to be used.
5. Is protective equipment provided?
Yes, masks and respirators, but they are not very comfortable.
6. Are you afraid about what the chemicals might be doing to you?
Yes. They were all very afraid what the chemicals might be doing to their bodies. They said that the women who work in the factory are afraid that the chemicals might cause miscarriages.
7. Do you stand or sit while you work? Is your positioning comfortable?
Whether they sit or stand depends on the work they do. One worker reported that he stands from 7:30 – 4:30 and sometimes even longer with overtime hours.
8. Have you ever seen or heard about physical or verbal abuse?
They told us that if you make a mistake you might be publicly embarrassed. They reported that workers have been made to stand for hours in front of the rest of the workforce because of mistakes they have made.
9. What are 3 things you want to change at the factory? (Not including wage increases.)
They would like better protective equipment; they would like something done about the dangerously slippery floors; and they want the factory to begin using chemicals that aren't harmful to them.
Compensation
1. How much money do you make each month?
Each said that they average 300,000Rp for basic monthly wage. This would not include transportation allowances or attendance bonuses.
We had a number of other questions to ask, but the workers were tired and had another meeting, so we ended the interview here.
8-18-00
"Transparency 101" (see www.nikebiz.com)
We were up early this morning and by 8:30am we were on our way to Nike's Corporate offices in Jakarta. We arrived just after 9am and made our way up twenty-two floors in a very nice elevator. It is amazing how things that go somewhat unnoticed (like nice elevators) really strike you when you have been immersed in absolute poverty for even a short period of time. As the elevator doors opened, before us was a receptionist and a security guard, both under what seemed the watchful eye of an omnipresent silver plated Swoosh that hung on the wall behind them.
Leily told the receptionist that we were students from St. John's University (well at least one of us was) and that we wanted to speak with Linda from the Labor Practices department. The security guard issued us each a visitor's pass emblazoned with the Swoosh (no, I didn't wear mine) and we were told we could have a seat in the waiting area. We waited…and waited… It was about 10:30am when Linda finally came out to meet with us. She was somewhat surprised that we asked to see her. You see Linda does not deal with labor issues, she deals with the company's environmental issues. She told us that Tammy Rodriguez was the person we needed to speak with to get permission to visit a factory. She said that Tammy was in a meeting and that it would be best if we gave her a call after lunch. Linda also said that it shouldn't be any problem for us to visit a factory, we would just have to fill out the paperwork and go through the proper procedure. We left the office somewhat hopeful.
It was a little past 12pm when Leily placed the first call to Tammy. She was at lunch. It was just around 1pm when she placed the second call. She was still at lunch. The third call was made after 2pm. She was still at lunch. At 3pm we decided that we would go back to the office without having spoken to Tammy. She couldn't eat lunch for the rest of the afternoon could she? Again we made our way up twenty-two floors in the elevator, were greeted by the same receptionist, given the same visitor's passes and had a seat in the same waiting area. We were even met by Linda who told us for the second time that Tammy was in a meeting. She asked us somewhat hesitatingly if we would like to wait for her. Of course we would wait for her. (smile)
We weren't waiting that long when an American woman emerged from the back office area. It appeared that she was finishing up a meeting and was escorting her guests to the door. When they were safely out the door she turned and asked, "Are you looking to meet with Tammy Rodriguez?" "Yes we are," I replied. "Well, hello, I'm Tammy Rodriguez." I felt somewhat bad for her. She knew why we were there, she was on the spot, and the camera was rolling. I told her that we would like to visit one of the factories that was disclosed on Nike's website. She replied, "Due to your litigation against the company we cannot let you visit a factory." Leslie than said, "Well, what about us?" referring to herself, Mike and Leily. Tammy said that no one from the project team would be allowed to visit a factory. So much for transparency.
I'll be honest, I didn't expect to get into a factory. I was well aware because of my pending suit against Nike and St. John's that I most likely would be denied access. What I found interesting is the way that Nike handled it. One of two things happened today. The first scenario is that when our project started, Nike's head office in Portland gave Tammy a directive on how to deal with us if we ever showed up in Jakarta. The second scenario, and the one I think more likely to be the case, is that when Tammy got the message this morning that a student from St. John's wanted to see a factory, she had to scramble to wake up the gang in the USA and find out what to do.
What Tammy did not take note of was that when we visited the office this morning, I never gave my name to the receptionist. I just said that I was a student from St. John's University. Of course it wouldn't be difficult to figure out who it was, but I thought that she might play somewhat coy. Instead, when we met her, she knew my name, knew the project team, knew that I had a lawsuit against the company, told us she had been given a directive from headquarters not to let us visit a factory, etc. Perhaps that's why her lunch took so long?
She went on to tell me that if in the future my litigation were cleared up we would be more than welcome to visit a factory. She even gave us the application form. We thought she was through with us, so Mike turned off the camera. When he did, Tammy let her guard down. Up to this point in the encounter she had looked very uncomfortable and visibly shaken. Now she appeared relaxed and somewhat genuinely concerned for us. She asked in what seemed an almost motherly way "So, how have things been going?" I told her that I was hungry, had lost about twenty pounds and that what I have been seeing is very sad. Mike knew a powerful moment; he started filming again; up went Tammy's guard. The words "The workers need more money…" were not even out of my mouth and she was quickly off for the relative safety of the back offices mumbling a less than cordial goodbye.
Peace, Jim
8-17-00
"Independence Day"
Other than my stomach hurting most of the day, my head pounding, and my being hungry as usual, there is not much to report. Considering today is Independence Day I thought there would be a little more excitement in Tangerang, but the morning was quiet. The only major event that occurred was our packing. We were heading out for a few days.
We spent the early afternoon traveling to Jakarta en route to Bekasi, another town/factory zone outside of the city, where we will be meeting with workers on Sunday. On the advice of the security guards we met at the Nike factory yesterday, we came to Jakarta a day earlier than scheduled to try to meet with "Linda" at Nike's Corporate offices. We hope to get her permission to visit the PT Kukdong International plant while we are in Bekasi. PT Kukdong is one of the sites that Nike discloses on their website as a location that is open for students to visit. Let's hope they honor our request.
Peace, Jim
8-16-00
"Visiting a Factory"
From the time we got off the bus about 3 miles from the industrial zone to the front gates of the factory, we were engulfed in a sea of Nike workers. There were thousands and thousands and thousands of them. It was as if the flow of humanity clad in royal blue polo shirts with a bright red Swoosh on the chest would never end. It was incredible.
To be honest, the title of this entry is somewhat of a misnomer. We didn't really "visit" a factory. We were near it, standing just beyond the guarded gates of KMK Global Sport (formerly KMJ Global Sport), but we didn't get in. Trying to get past the security guards was a token effort; they would have nothing of it. In fact, they told us if they saw our camera one more time they were going to take it.
A worker had told us that there was another plant about a half-mile up the road, off we went. It was the same scene here, locked gates, a more than adequate security presence and absolutely no chance that we were getting in. I had Leily tell the head of security that I was a student from St. John's University and that Nike claims on their website that students can visit the factories. Not seeing us as an immediate threat, the guards were somewhat friendly. They told us that we had to speak with someone named "Linda" from Nike's corporate office in Jakarta to arrange a factory visit. We thanked them for this bit of information and were on our way. We had arranged to meet with workers from this factory at three-o'clock.
The interviews were more of the same type of stories we have heard in the past few weeks. But there was one story that Asti (name changed) told us that absolutely floored me. He and the other workers expressed great fear that Nike would get mad and pull orders from their factory if we reported what they were telling us. The fact that they believe this and have this fear is bad enough, but it gets worse. Asti went on to tell us that in February of this year the management at KMK told the workers that people from Nike's corporate office said that if there was a strike at KMK (as there had been at the HASI factory) that Nike would cancel their order. Can this story be verified? I am not sure. But the sincere feeling of fear with which the story was told was heartbreaking. It is within this climate of fear that Nike operates.
This whole reality so ironic considering that Nike's entire marketing campaign in the USA is grounded in facing fears, taking risks, and "just doing it." I think the thing that struck me most today was seeing a giant Swoosh and the words "Yes I Can" plastered on the front of the factory. "Yes I Can" what? Live in absolute fear and be exploited? When someone has complete control over whether or not your entire family eats, "just doing it," becomes a little more difficult.
Peace, Jim
8-15-00
"For the Love of the Game"
Living on a sweatshop wage is taking its toll on me. I am hungry and tired; my back is killing me from sleeping on a mat on a hard cement floor; my head aches with a constant dull pain from lack of food; my throat is sore from the pollution; I am as skinny as I was when I was a 6-3, 170lb high school senior; and my face is a pale, sickly white. Despite all this, I had a great day today. I got to watch a soccer game.
I was a privileged guest at the Independence Day Soccer Championship between Tacipura and Sangiang. I was offered the invitation by both teams to play for their respective sides. Can you believe this? This was the most important game of the year and each team was willing to welcome a complete stranger onto their side. It did not matter that they had never seen me play, they could sense I loved the game and they welcomed me. Unfortunately I had to humbly decline their offers. I had no boots. When they asked me to play, I just pointed to my sandal laden feet. I stood there thinking, "Would I ever have another pair of boots? After my experiences here, what brand could I wear in good conscience?"
As I continued talking with the players, they showed me their Nike and Adidas boots and asked which was my favorite. I told them I didn't like any of them, "tidak bagus" I said, "very bad." They looked at me somewhat puzzled. They were proud to wear these shoes. They made them. Here they stood before me, asking me to share in the game we both love, wondering why I couldn't wear the shoes that they make with their blood and sweat. I wish I could have explained it to them. I had benefited for so many years from their exploitation. Why did I deserve the privilege? It wasn't fair. It wasn't just. For the second time on this trip, I felt embarrassed to be an athlete. The only people who should be proud to wear the Swoosh are these people, the factory workers, they are the only ones who have truly earned the right.
The field was hard red clay, filled with holes and bumps, insanely small and void of even the slightest hint of grass. For my NY and NJ soccer friends, the field made Farcher's Grove or the Metropolitan Oval look like Wembly. Despite this, the game was awesome. It was played with as much intensity as any game I have ever seen or been a part of. It was played with absolute heart and commitment. There were no sponsors, no players with multimillion-dollar contracts, no agents, no endorsement deals, and no ticket sales. It was twenty-two players playing for nothing but pride and the love of soccer. It was simple, it was pure, it was the game.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw. There was no overtime, no golden goal, they went straight to penalties. The penalty shoot-out went the full five rounds. In the fifth round the keeper from Tacipura made a save on a soft shot to his right. His team erupted in celebration. Of course it could not end like this for Sangiang, they would make their desperate pleas to the wisat (referee), they had to, its part of the drama, it's "futbol." No amount of begging would change the outcome though. The result would stand. Tacipura would march as Village Champs in the Independence Day parade. I felt blessed to have been lucky enough to share in the joy. Ole' ole' ole' ole'…ole' ole'…
Peace, Jim
For journal entries 7-31-00 thru 8-14-00,
click here
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