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 Mickey Mouse Goes to Haiti...

In about 1996 I wrote, Dear Mr. Eisner.  It was not and is not a veiled call for a boycott of Disney.  It was simply my personal response to the injustice of absurdly high CEO compensation in comparison to the illegal starvation wages of those at the "bottom" of the corporate ladder.  Disney is not the only company that engages in this kind of unjust labor practice, but this company caught my attention particularly because of the way Disney has always postured itself as being pro-child and pro-family.  I took some clues from Walter Wink and Gordon Cosby, who suggest that when it comes to systemic injustice, one possible response is to name the injustice, expose it, and withdraw support from it. This response may not be for you, but you can still let Disney (and other companies) know that you are troubled by unjust labor practices and obscene inequities in wages. View the lyrics if you like, and if it's appropriate for you, write Mr. Eisner at:

Mr. Michael Eisner, CEO
Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA  91522
Fax: 818-846-7319

I wrote I'd Just Like to Know  initially to go along with the NLC's "Right to Know" Campaign, through which they are calling for legislation to require corporations to disclose the names, exact locations, and working conditions of all the factories they use in the processes of production. Thanks to efforts of organizations like the NLC and Global Exchange, the terribly unjust and inhumane  working conditions of so many people throughout the world will not remain swept under the carpet by insensitive corporations and companies.  The only reason corporations have gotten away with this injustice is because they have been so effective in keeping it all in the shadows.  
 .

Apparel Wages Around the World 

Approximate hourly base wages, as reported to the National Labor committee by workers in those countries.

United States   -----   $8.42  (Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 1998)
 Bangladesh------------ 9 to20 cents
 Burma----------------- 4 cents
 China------------------ 23 cents  (Living wage: 87 cents an hour)
 Colombia-------------- 70 to 80 cents
 Dominican Republic---- 69 cents
 El Salvador ------------ 59 cents  (Living wage: $1.18 an hour)
 Guatemala-------------- 37 to 50 cents
 Haiti-------------------- 30 cents  (Living wage: 58 cents an hour)
 Honduras--------------- 43 cents  (Living wage: 79 cents an hour)
 India-------------------- 20 to 30 cents 
 Indonesia--------------- 10 cents
 Malaysia---------------- $1.00
 Mexico----------------- 50 to 54 cents
 Nicaragua--------------- 23 cents  (Living wage: 80 cents an hour)
 Pakistan----------------- 20 to 26 cents
 Peru--------------------- 90 cents 
 Philippines--------------- 58 to 76 cents
 Romania----------------- 24 cents
 Sri Lanka---------------- 40 cents
 Thailand----------------- 78 cents

Imbalanced Equity...

The combined international average wage WalMart pays its global workers.

Of the 538 billionaires from 46 countries, with an average
net worth of $3.2 billion, Walton family members placed
4 times in the Top 10 Richest People in the World.
(7th, 8th, 9th & 10th)

Forbes Magazine annual billionaires list - June 2001

The Living Wage Debate...