Readers Respond to Nike Layoffs in Beaverton

"Can Kate Brown stop giving these guys so many tax breaks?"

Nearly all the offices on Nike’s verdant 270-acre campus carry familiar names: Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Nolan Ryan. Mirrored doorways line the Seb Coe Building.
By WW Staff

Last week, Nike notified state employment officials that it will lay off at least 500 employees at its Beaverton headquarters. The workforce reduction, which will begin Oct. 1, will be one of Oregon's largest layoffs during the pandemic. Nike says it's restructured its executive suite to switch its focus to online sales. The sportswear giant has shut most of its stores due to the coronavirus and, in June, reported a quarterly net loss of $790 million. WW reported the news on wweek.com. Our readers were not wholly sympathetic. 

Andrew Kaiser via Facebook.com: "I feel bad for those employees, but I'm also not surprised. Nike is a terrible corporate business entity and they have been for years."

@sparkysixty6 via Twitter: "'Through this process, we're leading with our values and are committed to acting with compassion and respect for our employees.' Are you certain it has nothing to do with shareholders? Any of those shoemakers getting furloughed? Asking for a friend."

Hazel Nituob via Facebook: "How can Nike not afford to pay workers with what they charge for subpar shoes?"

Alva via wweek.com: "Any word on the 600 Uyghurs who have been moved 600 miles from Xinjiang to Qingdao to make Nike shoes by day in Qingdao and attend reeducation lessons in the evenings? Some of them might welcome a layoff."

Destiny via wweek.com: "Hmmm, they get all the discounts on their taxes, scoop up the profits, but don't seem to save for a rainy day to help keep Portlanders employed, which is the whole reason they get shielded from the taxes that the middle class has to pay (according to Kate Brown). Can Kate Brown stop giving these guys so many tax breaks? They obviously aren't keeping their end of the deal up."

Jaz Marie via Facebook: "So, can they pay taxes now?"

Skye Whitaker via Facebook: "This, right here, is why unemployment needs to be extended. These are people with specific job skills who are now all out of jobs in an economy that isn't hiring."

Andrea4578 via wweek.com: "But I think Phil Knight will still be OK."

Rod Lundgren via Facebook: "I thought Phil Knight would trickle down his billions in wealth to create jobs and save the economy. Come on Phil, Just Do It."

Jerry Channell via Facebook: "We're all in this together unless yer a corporate prince."

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