[NYTr] "'Corporate Social Responsibility'" not working for workers - 10/15 - NYC

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by John M Miller - Oct 10, 2007

Press for Change
Tel: (43) 664 9932 888
Skype: jeff.ballinger
jeffreyd at mindspring.com

Columbia University Seminar (#671) on 
Globalization, Labor and Popular Struggles

Monday,October 15, 2007 7:15 to 9:00 p.m

"'Corporate Social Responsibility' is not 
working for workers... SPEAKER: Jeffrey Ballinger

Faculty House, Columbia University, New York, NY (details below)

Ballinger had a novel approach to anti-sweatshop 
organizing: Beginning in 1991, he tracked and 
reported on the abuses suffered by Indonesian 
shoe workers making sneakers for Nike.  When  in 
1996 - the sweatshop story broke big in the 
U.S., he supplied the movement with depth, 
detail and (Nikes) denials.  This was the fruit 
of his sole focus on those 50,000 workers.

Facing sharply declining U.S. sales in 1998, Nike 
spent tens of millions of dollars on public 
relations strategies and, over time, forged de 
facto partnerships with many of Ballingers 
erstwhile allies.  Self-regulation through CSR 
is a great bargain for shoe and apparel 
companies, he says.  For Nike to fix persistent 
problems like forced overtime would cost 
upwards of $250 million a year. Instead, with an 
outlay of $30 million per year on CSR and 
strategic philanthropy, Nike sits comfortably 
atop the rankings of the most responsible companies.

Ballinger will discuss whether the single 
company/single country approach can be used to 
draw attention to the production of Apple iPods in Vietnam.

Faculty House, which is located on Columbia's 
East Campus behind the School of International 
Affairs and the Law School.  The street address 
is 400 West 117th Street, but the easiest 
approach is through the gates on the north side of 116th Street
between Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive.

The seminar will be held from 7:15 to 9:00 p.m. 
in a room to be announced in Faculty House; 
please look for a sign in the lobby and join us at 7:15 p.m.

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ETAN welcomes your financial support. For more 
info: http://etan.org/etan/donate.htm

John M. Miller         Internet: fbp at igc.org
National Coordinator
East Timor & Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)
PO Box 21873, Brooklyn, NY 11202-1873 USA
Phone: (718)596-7668      Fax: (718)222-4097
Mobile phone: (917)690-4391  Skype: john.m.miller
Web site: http://www.etan.org

Send a blank e-mail message to info at etan.org to find out
how to learn more about East Timor on the Internet

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