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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1997)
ICmRS TO THE EDITOR Nike misinformation Nike recently had a press conference via telephone with 18 student publications around the country (ODE, Oct. 15). Uni versity of Oregon students should understand this is a public relations ploy to divert attention away from the Inter national Day of Action that was scheduled Oct. 18. There’s no need to read the details on Page Six since the Emerald has sum marized the article in a tidy lit tle sound bite in the large green box, “Company officials say conditions and wages for their workers are good." If you critically read the arti cle, you will find some incredi ble misinformation that was churned out by Nike labor prac tice manager Dusty Kidd. He says, “A lot of people sort of put into the memory bank that the average person needs $2.10 a day just for food ... That’s sim ply not true in a country where the per capita income is $300 a year." Per capita income tells us nothing about the cost for basic necessities. The cost for three meals a day in Vietnam is $2.10. Nike workers make an average wage of 20 cents per hour, or $1.60 a day. Therefore, the Nike pay in Vietnam is a wage below subsistence level. Kidd tells us the information that the labor right abuses are “anecdotal" and not based on “facts.” Here are some facts: • This year on International Women’s Day (March 8) 56 women employed at a factory making Nike shoes in Dong Nai, Vietnam, were forced to run around the factory in the hot sun because they hadn’t worn regulation shoes. As a conse quence, 12 women were taken to the emergency room (Bob Hebert, New York Times, Mar. 28). • Jang Mi Baek, a forewoman at the Sam Yang factory in Viet nam, lined up women workers and beat them in the face with an unfinished shoe (Far Eastern Economic Review, Aug. 22, 1996). • Thuyen Ngyen, founder of Vietnam Labor Watch, reported violations of minimum wage and overtime laws and the use of corporal punishment at the Sam Yang Company (Jeff Man ning, Oregonian, Mar. 27). Ngyen is not your typical labor activist; he was previously a New York investment banker. Students should also be aware that Nike recently chal lenged the sweatshop resolu tion introduced by shareholders and the United Methodist Church. The Securities and Ex change Commission allowed Nike to omit the sweatshop res olution from its proxy state ment (Campaign for Labor Rights, Oct. ‘97). For more details on these is sues, check out the following sources: www.cleanclothes.org/l/nike high.htm www.globalexchange.org/ca mpaigns/nike/faq.html www.globalexchange.org/ca mpaigns/nike/resources.html clr@igc.apc.org (Request the Stephen Glass article published in The New Republic, Aug. 1997) Julia Fox Andrea Coukos Sociology department Write living will Why the euphemisms? Isn't “suicide” the taking of one’s own life? If someone else gets into the act, is it still “suicide”? If we do not do the deed but assist someone who does, we are “accomplices" and share the blame. Those who take life have been known for ages as murder ers, butchers, military aggres sors or executioners. Do we re ally want to add another name to that list — doctors? If people are determined to kill themselves, they are free to do so, but let them take full re sponsibility for their actions. Don’t dump some of the guilt on a doctor. As an alternative to “assisted suicide,” I suggest that every one over 18 have a living will refusing extraordinary medical measures and requesting enough painkillers to keep them comfortable should they ever be verified as terminally ill by more than one doctor. Then, should the occasion arise, they can wrap themselves in the love of their families and friends while they get their spiritual and temporal affairs in order. Nature will take care of the rest. Meanwhile, vote yes on Mea sure 51. Veronica Sitton Corvallis ★ ★★★★ Morningstar ratings for the CREF Global Equities Account, CREF Equity Index Account, and CREF Growth Account" ly’s rating for TiAA isfaction Survey Your servicl bowled me oyer -William Ravdin, TIAA-CREF Paftyeipant Top ratings from Morningstar, Moody's, S&P, DALBAR, and Bill. TIAA-CREF. Proven Solutions To Last a Lifetime We take a lot of pride in gaining high marks from the major rating services. But the fact is, we're equally proud of the ratings we get in the mail every day from our participants. Because at TIAA-CREF, ensuring the finan cial futures of the education and research community is something that goes beyond stars and numbers. So from traditional and variable annuities to life insurance and personal savings plans, you’ll find we provide the right choices—and the dedication—to help you achieve a lifetime of financial goals. The rating services back us up. So does Bill. To receive a free Personal Investing Kit, including charges and expenses, plus our variable annuity prospectuses, call us at 1 800 226-0147. Please read them carefully before you invest or send money. www.tiaa-cref.org Ensuring the future for those who shape it.s“ •Source Morrungstai, Inc. June 1997 Mornmgstar is an independent service that rates mutual lunds and variable annuiues The top 10% ol funds in an investment category receive five stars and the next 22.5% receive four stars Mornmgstar proprietary raungs reflect historical risk adjusted performance, and are subject to change every month They are calculated from the account s three five- and ten-year average annual returns in excess of 90day Treasury bill returns with appropnate fee adjustments, and a risk factor that reflects performance below 90day T bill returns. The overall star raungs referred to above are Mornmgstar s published raungs. which are weighted averages of its three-, five-, and ten-year ratings for periods ending June 30.1997 The separate (unpublished) ratinas for each of the periods are: " Period 3-Year 5-Year lOYear CRKFJSfcock Star Rating/Number of Domestic Equity Accounts Rated 4/1.423 4/924 4/441 CHEF Bond Star Rating/Number of Fixed Income Accounts Rated 4/566 4/364 N/A CHEF Social Star Rating/ Number of Domestic Equity Accounts Rated 4/1.423 4/924 N/A CRKF Global Star Rating/ Number of International Equity Accounts Rated 5/274 5/158 N/A CREW Equity Star Rating/Number ol Domestic Equity Accounts Rated 5/1.423 N/A N/A CR«F Orcwth Aaaaat Star Rating/Number of Domestic Equity Accounts Rated 5/1.423 N/A N/A ••These top ratings are based on TIAA's exceptional financial strength, claimapaying ability and overall operating performance •••Source: DALBAR. Inc . 1995 CREF certificates are distributed by TIAA-CREF Individual and Institutional Services For more complete information, including charges and expenses, please read the CREF Prospectus offered above Read it carefullv before vou invest or send money_ 1 1 The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Monday through Friday during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon A member of the Associated Press, the Emerald operates independently of the University with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is pri vate property. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law _NEWSROOM_ Editor-in-chief: Sarah Kickler Managing Editor: Nicole Krueger Community: Eric Collins, editor. Michael Burnham, Jesse Sowa Entertainment: Evan Denbaum, editor. Higher Education: Laura Cadiz, editor. Teri Meeuwsen, Megan Turner In-depth: Ashley Bach Perspective: Michael Schmierbach, edi tor. Chris Hutchinson, illustrator. Jonas Allen. Kameron Cole, Nicole Kristal. columnists. Student Activities: Doug Irving, editor. Michael Hines, Kristina Rudinskas Sports: Ryan Frank, editor. Chris Hansen, asst, editor. Joel Hood, Rob Moseley. Alex Pond Copy Desk: Holly Sanders, copy chief. Tammy Salman, Kelly Schulze, Shannon Sneed Presentation: Matt Garton, editor. Pamela Sirianm, Cara Strazzo Photography: Michael Crisp, editor Wendy Fuller, Chad Patteson, Rose Fung Freelance: Carl Yeh On-line: Nicholas Stiffler BUSINESS General Manager: Judy Riedl Business: Kathy Carbone, business supervisor. Judy Connolly, receptionist. Distribution: John Long, Joy Sears, Dave Ova II ADVERTISING DISPLAY: Becky Merchant, director. Leigh-Ann Cyborn, assistant. Yujin Chi, Brian Diamond. Chris Erickson, Lindsay Knaak, Andy Lakefish, Justice Rhodes, Erick Schiess. Rose Soil, Matt Solomon, Chris Suydam CLASSIFIED: Anne Amador, manager. Danielle Ing, Katie Krystkiewicz, Kate Lamb PRODUCTION Michele Ross, manager. Tara Sloan, coordinator. Shawna Abele, Joselyn Bickford, Susan Head, Melissa Lebahn, Leah Lekas, Laura Lucas, Leanne Nelms, Brandt Nelson, Broc Nelson, Katie Nesse, Sylvia Tewes, Serena Williams NEWSROOM (541) 346-5511 BUSINESS OFFICE (541) 346-5512 DISPLAY ADVERTISING (541) 346-3712 CLASSIFIED ADS (541)346-4343 Correction An article in last week’s edition of Well Now, which is published by the University Health Center, incorrectly stated that RIM intramural sports are free. In fact, fees range from free to $40. Nor is crew an intramural sport, as the article suggested. Well Now regrets the errors.
