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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBernie Sanders to Obama on Nike trip: Just Don’t Do It!
https://www.yahoo.com/politics/bernie-sanders-to-obama-on-nike-trip-just-dont-118371547706.htmlVermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is urging President Barack Obama to cancel a planned visit to Nikes headquarters over the low wages it pays foreign workers.
Obama is scheduled to travel to the sneaker giants Beaverton, Ore., headquarters Friday, part of the presidents effort to galvanize support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multinational trade deal between the United States and 11 other countries, including Vietnam where Nike manufactures most of its shoes.
Given Nikes legacy of offshoring American jobs and exploiting low-wage workers, I would strongly encourage you to cancel this meeting, Sanders wrote in a letter to Obama Wednesday. Nike epitomizes why disastrous unfettered free-trade policies during the past four decades have failed American workers, eroded our manufacturing base and increased income and wealth inequality in this country.
The independent senator and Democratic presidential candidate cited a recent study by the Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights which found that 330,000 workers manufacture Nike products in Vietnam, where the minimum wage is about 56 cents per hour.
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fredamae
(4,458 posts)"shift in public opinion" if he convinced NIKE to being a few jobs to the US under TPP. They employ hundreds of thousands of people "over there". NIKE has been around a Long time and have manufactured very few - if any - Shoes in the US, to the best of my knowledge.
I couldn't figure out Why he would "woo" NIKE...was talking to hubby and said: I'm going on record just in case I'm correct that the Only thing that made any sense for Obama to come to Oregon...a place where 83% say NO to TPP.. was to do just that. Then Maddow last night also suggested "He has something under his sleeve". Could that be it? Time will tell.
Perhaps he recognized and praised DeFazio and Merkley along with Schrader (support), Bonamici (support), Wyden (didn't hear his name but he's Key in getting TPA thru and Supports) Blumenauer (I'm stunned by his support).....but I didn't hear their (Merkley/DeFazio) names mentioned. Hmmmm.
Perhaps it was just in error? These are the ONLY two from Oregon who are standing with their people. I sure hope a majority of Oregonians consider their (Wyden, Bonamici, Schrader, Blumenauer) support of the TPA/TPP a Career Ending decision. I know I am.
Democrats my ass.
G_j
(40,366 posts)We shall see..
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)This is the essence of representative government versus corporate sellout.
This is human ethics confronting the sewer of corporate priorities.