Business practices of some corporations like Nike unjust, corrupt

By John Galang ’12
The Roundup

All of Brophy was stunned by the cold hard facts that Jim Keady, the founder of Team Sweat, revealed March 1 in Robson Gymnasium.

Keady shared the knowledge he has learned over the past 13 years with the Brophy students during the Summit on Human Dignity, and many were shocked by how much they did not know about Nike.

Apparently, the Indonesian workers for Nike are extremely underpaid and can barely make enough money to purchase the absolute necessities for survival, including food and water.

If they wanted to buy the shoes they were making, they would have to spend almost half a year’s worth of payment.

As Keady continued through his Powerpoint presentation, the gymnasium became quiet as the sorrow kicked in.

One of the most disturbing pieces of information the students were told was how much Nike lied about their industries located worldwide.

Nike also denied that the workers were unhappy and not being paid a living wage, both of which were lies.

Nike is not the devil, and many other major retailers use the same strategies.

This is, however, without question, inhumane and corrupt.

As Keady mentioned, there are sponsors of Nike who make millions and millions of dollars by simply wearing the products, while the ones who make the products can barely feed their family.

It is hard to believe that despite how technologically advanced we are, we can still be as corrupt and cruel as we were centuries ago.

Keady is one of the many who knows this and is one of the few who are doing something about it.

Both he and his organization, Team Sweat, are working to correct the injustice that permeates through the company that is Nike.

There are many people joining Team Sweat even now, both adults and kids alike, and all of them wish to see the end to the corruption that haunts the Indonesian people.

At the end of his presentation, Keady told students how they could help.

Just by sending an e-mail to the CEO of Nike, we can help those millions of people who work for Nike.

As men for others, it is our responsibility to help in this fight and whether that is by joining Team Sweat, sending an e-mail or even going straight up to Nike’s headquarters, we must do what we can.

Maybe, through our efforts and the efforts of many others, we will be able to end the cruel treatment and payment of the Indonesian sweatshop workers—and then eventually, all sweatshop workers.