When we decided to have the kids write to companies, I decided to attempt it myself, I wanted to be sure that the kids would not get a mean automatic response, and it is horrible researching skills not gettin the other side of the story. Here it is, I call it "The Letter From Nike." I would also like to point out that if you see a wierd mark that looks like this, "�", it is just the symbol for "section."



Dear Alex:

Thank you for taking the time to send Nike your thoughts. Nike has taken significant actions to improve the lives, opportunities, and working conditions of the people who make our products around the world. Nike offers good wages, benefits and desirable jobs in countries where wages are low and jobs are scarce. In many cases, entry-level workers earn more in cash and allowances than local governments require. In addition to fair wages, most workers also receive benefits such as housing, transportation, on-site health care and meals With these additional benefits, Nike�s contract factory employees in some countries, are compensated equal to or better than other professions such as teachers, police officers or farmers.

Nike has made a long-term commitment to the continuous improvement of how we do business in the U.S. and abroad. Recent corporate responsibility initiatives at Nike include:

�     Improving Nike�s contract factory conditions by independent monitoring of contract factories by monitors accredited by the Fair Labor Association (www.fairlabor.org); increasing age requirements for all Nike footwear workers to a US-standard of 18 years of age and apparel workers to 16; and replacing almost 90% of petroleum-based solvents with safer water-based solvents in footwear manufacturing.

�     As part of our commitment to see the job through the workers eyes, Nike joined the Global Alliance for Workers and Communities with a minimum five-year commitment and a $7.8 million investment. The assessments and development programs conducted by the Global Alliance help identify worker aspirations and workplace issues, assess worker and community needs and implement programs that respond to the identified needs. For more information, please visit www.theglobalalliance.org.

�     In FY�02 Nike donated 3.2% of our pretax profits to various charities and non-profit organizations around the world for a total of $29 million dollars.

�     Through Nike�s Reuse-A-Shoe program, we recycle more than 2 million pairs of old athletic shoes each year. The recycled components are then used as the material in sport surfaces. Over 100 of these sports surfaces, such as football fields, basketball courts and tracks have been donated to underserved communities around the world.

�     Endorsing the United Nations� Global Compact - defined by nine principles drawn from the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the core standards of the International Labor Organization, and the Rio Declaration on the environment and development.

At Nike we know that globalization and human rights can - and do - co-exist. That�s why we work closely with non-profit organizations, academics, governmental authorities, and other partners to ensure that our workers, and their communities, benefit from their relationship with Nike. In fact, here�s what a NGO had to say about Nike in Vietnam: "The truth is, Nike's factories were never any worse--and in some ways were better--than other companies' factories here," said Brian Quinn, Vietnam representative for Harvard University's Institute for International Development. He has tracked Nike's operations in Vietnam for the last four years."

Our goal at Nike is continuous improvement and we look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with these organizations. Please visit our Web site at www.nikebiz.com for an online factory tour and the most current information about Nike�s global citizenship programs.

Good luck on your research!

Sincerely,
Carolyn Wu
Global Issues Manager