Fair Labor Association says Foxconn's Apple iPad plant is 'first class'

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 116
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacVicta View Post


    The lefties will have none of this. It's still full steam ahead until Apple "brings those jobs home" to the unions for $41 an hour.



    Right... Because having American jobs is a commie plot. Gotcha.
  • Reply 22 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by island hermit View Post


    The FLA must be wrong. I've been told that Apple is doing nothing to improve conditions and lets companies off the hook for treating workers like slaves.



    </s>



    I heard Apple kills a a pug puppy for every iDevice made.
  • Reply 23 of 116
    The next round of arguments will go:



    Apple must hold Foxconn accountable as a whole! Just because the iPad factory is first class, doesn't excuse them from using slave labour conditions in other factories that produce laptops and consoles for Apple's competitors! Apple should be held responsible for those workers because they work for Foxconn as well. That's right, I want Apple to be responsible for the workers of their competitors!





    Enough already. There is some truth in the findings here and the facilities that produce items for Apple are probably above par. It's time to turn on the heat on the other companies to do the same as Apple so the industry as a whole demands reasonable standards from their supplies.
  • Reply 24 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post


    Possibly, the scrutiny of Apple will result in greater scrutiny elsewhere too. Hopefully, Apple will step up as the undisputed leader in the field of factory conditions.



    This could be a big win for Apple if it pays its cards right. So far, so good.



    We need to bring back the Made in USA campaign for clothing or at least one recognizable brand that is known for making clothing locally. Premium brands already charge $50+ dollars for a shirt so I think it can be done. Instead of a 1000% markup, they would have to settle with a 200% markup, still doable.



    I wonder if there's a study out there of the manufacturers with worst overseas factory conditions. I wouldn't be surprised if the big guys like Nike, Old Navy, Gap, etc have front companies or other obscurities to hide their overseas operations.
  • Reply 24 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tundraboy View Post


    I'm a lefty of the pragmatic variety who grew up in the 3rd world and I would say to all those (ignorant but well-meaning) people who complained about "horrible, inhuman" working conditions at Foxconn: You should wish that all factories in the 3rd world were run like Foxconn's Apple operations.



    This. A thousand times. Those complaining about the working conditions at Foxconn ought to visit a third world country (including rural China) and see how vastly better life is at these assembly plants than where many of these workers came from.



    - Jasen.
  • Reply 26 of 116
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    Unfortunately, like with Greenpeace a few years ago, Apple was already doing the Right Thing™ and well ahead of the curve, but being the easy and fashionable target that they are, a beat-up by someone looking to make a name for themselves results in Apple having to stick it on their front page.



    It's not that the conditions at contractors' sites where their products are made are now (or even needed to be) any better, or that their products were not already environmentally conscious, but now they - and for some reason, few others - have to hold a press conference to put the scandal-monkeys back in their faeces-stained little barrel. That Apple weren't already trumpeting it from the castle walls being the only mistake they actually made.



    Sadly, it's too late - the scandal-rags have already made a little extra pocket-money from a temporary influx of site clicks, and will spin it as them having changed the way the big evil giant does business, having taught Apple a lesson.
  • Reply 27 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post


    Exactly the quote I would expect from someone who's already convicted Apple of being evil. No amount of evidence to the contrary will suffice.



    Yes I consider them evil, especially since I have an iPhone, iPod, airport base station, new MacBook pro and will always recommend and use apple products.
  • Reply 28 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacVicta View Post


    The lefties will have none of this. It's still full steam ahead until Apple "brings those jobs home" to the unions for $41 an hour.



    I don't know how much you make but why would you want to deny another person the ability to make $41 an hour. Basically what you are saying is deny an American a $41 an hour job and make sure that a Chinese worker gets or keeps the job, regardless of the conditions. Maybe I should call up you boss and tell him that he is paying you too much and just to prove it I will take your job for 50% of what he pays you. As righties will tell you all day long the market will manage itself. So if labor at $41 an hour make the cost of the product so high that no one buys it, then the problem will solve itself. Right? Or are you just using this article as an excuse to bitch about people who don't think like you.
  • Reply 29 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jasenj1 View Post


    This. A thousand times. Those complaining about the working conditions at Foxconn ought to visit a third world country (including rural China) and see how vastly better life is at these assembly plants than where many of these workers came from.



    - Jasen.



    So if I beat you with a wooden stick instead of a crowbar, you have no right to complain because of how much better you have it? Come on.
  • Reply 30 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by techguy911 View Post


    We need to bring back the Made in USA campaign for clothing or at least one recognizable brand that is known for making clothing locally.



    American Apparel is a decent sized company which makes it clothing (and cloth, I think) in the US.



    Of course, they have their own share of other controversies.
  • Reply 31 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ghostface147 View Post


    Foxconn did have time to prepare. It wasn't exactly a surprise inspection.



    Yes because we all know that in small factories that employ only 400K+ people, they are able to completely change everything in a few days to spiff the place up. Put a few vases of flowers our. Play some nice soothing music through the excellent audio system that they have. Have all 400K+ bring in pictures of there families and a few mementos to put in there work areas to show how great working at Foxconn is. Really, does anyone actually apply critical thinking to what they imagine the world is.
  • Reply 32 of 116
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by techguy911 View Post


    We need to bring back the Made in USA campaign for clothing or at least one recognizable brand that is known for making clothing locally. Premium brands already charge $50+ dollars for a shirt so I think it can be done. Instead of a 1000% markup, they would have to settle with a 200% markup, still doable.



    I wonder if there's a study out there of the manufacturers with worst overseas factory conditions. I wouldn't be surprised if the big guys like Nike, Old Navy, Gap, etc have front companies or other obscurities to hide their overseas operations.



    Yeah it would be nice to see all Levis made in USA again but you can switch brands if you choose, that is if you can afford to buy American:



    http://motorcitydenimco.com/
  • Reply 33 of 116
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kent909 View Post


    I don't know how much you make but why would you want to deny another person the ability to make $41 an hour.



    Sitting on an assembly line is not a highly skilled job. Any bozo can do that job, and no, I do not wish for any Americans to be making $41 an hour to assemble my next iPad, because the iPad would be ridiculously expensive.



    Apple should not bring any jobs back to the US. With the criminal and corrupt Unions around, it would not make any economic sense. It would be bad for Apple, it would be bad for Apple's customers and I don't really give a crap about any Americans who are out of work. That is their own fault, as Americans have the leadership which they voted for. Change indeed.
  • Reply 34 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    The ignorant people who signed and supported that petition are no better than the KKK. They are pure scum and they are evil people.



    Really? The KKK?



    I have said Apple is doing better than other companies. This is confirming that and it's great to hear. Continued improvement will keep Foxconn on the right track. There is still a lot to do.
  • Reply 35 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by techguy911 View Post


    We need to bring back the Made in USA campaign ...



    The whole concept of a "Made in USA" campaign is flawed though. The base idea, (that it actually matters to the world economy or even to the local economies what country a thing is manufactured in), is deeply flawed.



    It never ceases to amaze me how gung-ho super-capitalist the USA is *except* where it concerns the USA, when they immediately switch to the same protectionism they decry in other countries the other 90% of the time.



    The movement of manufacturing jobs from older, Western developed economies to emergent economies in the rest of the world is both proper, efficient, and completely unavoidable. The failure is in the American Education system which produces bushels of dimwits only suitable for the kind of third world jobs that aren't available in North America anymore but who conversely require the wages of a much higher paying sector to live on.



    The US job market and job seekers need to be smarter and better educated, not artificially propped up by government support so they can do slave labour work for CEO wages.
  • Reply 36 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Slurpy View Post


    But..but.. SLAVERY!!! HELL-HOLE! WORKER ABUSE!! They must have been payed off and lying!



    This isn't shocking. But let's keep focusing on Apple, creating media outrage, signing petitions, etc. because their facilities are 'way, way above the norm'.



    So you typed your message on a device that was probably built in one of these hell holes. Thanks for doing your part.
  • Reply 37 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kent909 View Post


    Yes because we all know that in small factories that employ only 400K+ people, they are able to completely change everything in a few days to spiff the place up. Put a few vases of flowers our. Play some nice soothing music through the excellent audio system that they have. Have all 400K+ bring in pictures of there families and a few mementos to put in there work areas to show how great working at Foxconn is. Really, does anyone actually apply critical thinking to what they imagine the world is.



    I guess no one picks up on sarcasm.
  • Reply 38 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kent909 View Post


    I don't know how much you make but why would you want to deny another person the ability to make $41 an hour. Basically what you are saying is deny an American a $41 an hour job and make sure that a Chinese worker gets or keeps the job, regardless of the conditions. Maybe I should call up you boss and tell him that he is paying you too much and just to prove it I will take your job for 50% of what he pays you. As righties will tell you all day long the market will manage itself. So if labor at $41 an hour make the cost of the product so high that no one buys it, then the problem will solve itself. Right? Or are you just using this article as an excuse to bitch about people who don't think like you.



    Right. The jobs went to China. Problem solved.
  • Reply 39 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Apple ][ View Post


    Well meaning my ass.



    The ignorant people who signed and supported that petition are no better than the KKK. They are pure scum and they are evil people. Ignorance is no excuse for evil. On the previous threads about this issue they were attacking anybody who defended Apple. They had zero facts or proof to back up any of their slanderous assertions and anybody who provided facts and data which proved them wrong were attacked and labeled as racists. One genius even called me a European colonialist.



    These are not well meaning people. They are scum and all they do is lie about others. They lied about Apple and they lied about anybody who pointed out that they were completely wrong.



    Are you able to write a single post without all the hyperbole?



    Apple has, through its own investigations, found abusive labor practices in its supply chain. That does not mean 1) that the abuses are systemic, or 2) that Apple does not care / is not doing anything about it. Apple appears to be leading in this area to continually improve working conditions even in its outsourced operations, but that doesn't mean the situation is perfect.



    There are extremists on one side claiming the working conditions are sweatshop level and there are apologists on the other side claiming everything is wonderful and perfect. Neither one represents reality.
  • Reply 40 of 116
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Recent reports from The New York Times and CNN highlighted potential labor issues in Apple's supply chain, with claims of forced overtime and low wages.



    So when is the FLA going to visit some American factories? I just left a factory job after 15 years. Part of the reason was that we had to work "mandatory" overtime. A few of us didn't like all the hours and had been asking for 40 hour weeks (typically we were working 50-55) for years only to be given the runaround. The week I gave my notice we were told on a Monday that "starting today" we were required to work 12 hours/day for 5 days then the next week for 6 days. So, one week 60 hours, the next week 72 hours, repeat.



    The thing is, it's nothing new. At that company 60 hour weeks were standard when I first started. Some people there have 40+ years of seniority and say that's all they remember.



    How come "forced" OT is alright here but not there? All I can think is the Chinese workers are being made to work OT but not being properly compensated.



    Does anyone know?
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