PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Several garment workers from Indonesia who reportedly work to produce products for Nike are in Portland to demand higher pay and advocate for their rights.
The workers visited the downtown Nike Store by Pioneer Courthouse Square, joined by activists from the Oregon Education Association, the University of Oregon Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation and the group “Jobs With Justice.”
The workers come from Indonesia, but are a part of a bigger organization that represent unions in India, Pakistan, Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries
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The workers spoke through an interpreter. We also heard from Abiramy Sivalogananthan, an advocate with Asia Floor Wage Alliance who was part of their efforts.
“Brands like Nike go to Asia for the cheap labor because they can divide the workers, they can do the union-busting, they can get the work done for really under the poverty wages,” said Sivalogananthan. “So the workers were not even aware of how much their products get sold in the consumer’s countries and then the profit that the fashion brands are getting. And then the moment when we start explaining them, they’re really shocked and then angry.”
Our newsroom reached out to Nike for a statement, and as of 6 p.m. Tuesday we have yet to hear back.
