Nike conduct code remains unenforced

Recently, President Peter Likins indicated in a SummerWildcat interview that a contract with Nike will be signed on June 30. As a member of Students Against Sweatshops and concerned student, I am frustrated and confused by this decision.

From my discussions with President Likins and others, I have gained the impression that our willingness to sign a contract with Nike was based on:

1) Our satisfaction with its "Code of Conduct" and their commitment to follow it.

2) The impression that Nike's labor practices in its subcontracted factories has improved since the coverage in the New York Times in November.

However, both of these notions are patently false.

On April 30, Ms. Lap Nyugen was fired from the Sam Young plant in Vietnam for speaking to a reporter about an incident in which she was beaten by a supervisor. This interview, conducted on May 12, by Vietnam Labor Watch, reveals two violations of Nike's code of conduct, specifically, "the principle that decisions on hiring, salary benefits, advancement, termination, or retirement are based soley on the ability of an individual to do the job" and refers to an earlier incident that contradicts the principle of "the right to a workplace free of harassment [or] abuse."

It is clear that Nike cannot stand good on its word and therefore is not worthy of supporting the University in any way. The only gray area that remains is why President Likins and those involved in contract negotiations cannot see this themselves.

Arne David Ekstrom

Neuroscience graduate student