Nike Soccer Cleats
Commodity Project
Work Conditions
Nike views its employees differently than most large companies. Nike has over a million employees worldwide and is concerned with work conditions from the headquarters in Oregon to factories in Vietnam. Since first accused of violating child labor laws in 1991, Nike has made efforts to make working environments safe and legal.
Impact
Work conditions has had an impact on the growth of the people of 3rd world countries. Low wages, specifically, can prevent countries from developing economically and keeps the poor in poverty. Accounts of Nike wages have been reported to be as low as 14 cents an hour. NIke has since gained control of this problem and has created a standard minimum wage in its factories as well as advanced working conditions overseas. Furthermore, Nike changed outsourced manufacturing in every industry. Nike's Fair Labor Association now has over 200 affiliates, including The Ohio State University. The global impact that Nike has had by improving work conditions has effected many countries, socially. Factory workers are now more financially stable due to increase in pay and can now better provide for their families without working ridiculous backbreaking hours. More importantly, treatment of workers has been improved so worker's safety and security can be restored. Nike may or may not have caused the problem, but they have certainly made an effort to fix it.
Nike continues to evaluate all of the third party factories it does business with. In 2013, 94% of factories went through a full lab, health, and safety assessment. According to Nike, the other 6% are in the process of moving out of Nikes "supply chain".
Nike takes these evaluations very seriously. Out of the 2013 evaluations, 16% of factories recorded violations which is significantly less that the 29% from 2012. The top issues out of these 16% dealt with hours and wages as well as paperwork and overtime violations.
