The union deserves to meet with the Nike compliance officer to let their voices be heard. Finally, workers say the factory has a union which is said to be in bed with the company. The workers want to exercise their right to freedom of association and create a new independent union in its place. Negotiations were set for Thursday the 11th, but were cancelled at the last minute. The company recognizes the Kuk Dong Workers' Coalition as the legitimate representative of the workers and agrees to deal with them as such, pending a legal process that will take some time to conclude.
Workers plan to continue the stoppage until the company meets the demands.
Already they have been harassed with anonymous threatening notes and there is some fear that the police or union thugs might attack them. Many workers are single parents and are the sole wage earners for their families, which makes the wage issues especially pertinent. Kuk Dong International is a Korean-based Nike producer with large factories in Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico. Reports indicate that there have been repeated labor disputes at Kuk Dong's Indonesian factory, most recently over the failure to pay a minimum wage. Let the company know that you are aware of the events at the Kuk Dong factory in Mexico and that the company has a code of conduct compliance officer on the premises.