According to Agence France Presse (AFP), about a third of the staff at Nike's flagship store on the Champs-Elysées in Paris went on strike on Oct. 16. Some 60 people signed a petition and 40 demonstrated on the broad sidewalks outside the store, distributing tracts to passers-by while a saleswoman yelled “Nike, respect me!” through a megaphone. According to another vendor, Roman Sicre, tensions over pay and managerial pressure really began to rise on Oct. 8. Nike is currently preparing the store – its largest in France – for the winter season. The employees are seeking better conditions, an increase in the supplement for evening shifts from 15 to 100 percent of the daytime wage, a “thirteenth month” of pay, and food vouchers for meal breaks (a fairly standard benefit in France), among other things. The strike did not stem from any action by the CFDT, the French labor union at Nike, but the strikers have approached another union for help. Sud Commerce is now setting up representation, claims that Nike's flagship has been acting illegally, and might seek legal recourse on the employees' behalf. The store's management received an employee delegation on the evening of Oct. 16, but the parties reportedly failed to reach an agreement.

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