Just do... what???
The O got the go-ahead today to publish the dirt that was inadvertently turned over to it concerning those bad boys on the top of the Nike organizational chart. (The story was outside the Paywall of Pity for a moment there, but alas, it's now been placed behind.) In a classic case of Portland Polite, the oldies at the O are not naming names or giving any details, but they are very busy crowing that they have the goods on the hostile environment, and worse, in Swooshland. And they're proud to say they're free to spill the beans, if only they had the guts.
The new surveys obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive appear to support claims previously made by plaintiffs in the case that Nike’s problems were connected to the company’s power elite. In 2018, Nike said its problems were not widespread but rather limited to an “insular group of high-level managers.”
The new documents obtained by the news organization includes the names of numerous Nike executives who are alleged by co-workers to have engaged in inappropriate conduct, including unwanted sexual advances toward female subordinates, non-consensual touching, invitations to hotel rooms and displaying graphic content on cell phones.
“Sadly, unwelcome advances, insults, jokes, unwanted physical conduct etc., are/have been a part of Nike’s culture,” wrote one survey respondent. “Most women know upon coming to work here that you need to learn to ‘hang’ + dodge as best you can.”
Maybe someday we'll learn who's done what to whom at Nike over the years, but I doubt it will be thanks to the folks at the O. Even when the good stuff falls into their lap, as it did here, their reaction is to hold a lot of it back.
Remember, this is an organization that disgraced former governor Neil Goldschmidt was once a part of. He no doubt planted the seeds for that type of culture.
ReplyDeleteWhat part of Nike’s operations can be attributed to Neil.
DeleteBetween being Transportation Secretary and Governor, Goldschmidt was an international vice president and the president of Nike Canada. There's been no indication that I can find that he was involved in anything inappropriate while he was on their payroll or that he was the guy who introduced workplace harassment at Nike.
DeleteNeil's stint at Nike would probably make for a VERY interesting book.
DeleteNeil and Phil are poles apart politically. I wonder who actually hired Neil.
DeleteThe real question is why. And what was the deal. I'm sure there was quite a deal.
DeleteIt all sounds pretty benign to me. I remember work/office culture from only 25 years ago or so where this stuff would had been pretty tame. I worked at one large insurance company downtown where it worked both ways, and I had been pinned to a corner of an elevator by a woman weighing considerably more than me. She also made the daily requests of me to come over for dinner and massages. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteSounds like The Standard. I worked there for almost 20 yrs. And I’m pretty sure I know the woman you are talking about lol. Unfortunately, that stuff was not uncommon.
DeleteJust because you though your boomer ways were ok back in the day, doesn’t mean they have been ok over the past decade or currently.
DeleteFirst comment: No, it wasn’t the Standard. Think health insurance. I also had a married woman friend who I had befriended there who used to sneak up from behind when I was sitting and cover my eyes, and press herself into me. She was barely 5 feet tall, so you can guess the end results.
DeleteSecond comment: There was a time not too long ago where girls would whistle at men also. It was all very innocent really. Who wants to live (or date) in a society that constantly monitors for any slight infractions arising from male/female interactions? No wonder people have gone crazy lately.
I’m old enough to remember when a WOLF WHISTLE was common in downtown Portland.
ReplyDeleteNon-paywall version: here
ReplyDeleteNothing really “juicy”…same old same old.
ReplyDeleteNike culture is dog eat dog. They hire most people as contractors, which constantly need redoing yearly or so. To get to be an actual employee, you have to basically play screw your buddy. This type of business model is ripe for sexual harassment and other sleazy practices. They say jocks always get the chicks, but only chicks who use their body as a weapons. Shwoops...
ReplyDeleteFatuous
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