In 2004 Apple's annual profit was $276m. Today it's $3.698b. A 1339% increase. During that same time their bank account went from $5.5b to $20.7b. A 376% increase. It's obvious they're not hurting for money.
What did the employees get? Last year a measly 2%. Year before that, 0%.
You make a good point if Apple offered its employees no cost-of-living adjustment.
However, your numbers conveniently overlook that Apple's increased profits and cash resulted, at least in part, from increased sales which were not necessarily built on the backs of existing employees: Apple expanded it own retail operations adding both stores and head count as well as growing third-party retailers. It also offered new products which expanded sales opportunities.
How come everyone is making this guy the villain out of hand? Even if labor practices in the US generally are abusive and suck, why does that make it in any way acceptable? Apple is a big employer, a big corporation and just because we love most things Apple the company should not be above criticism. Anyone who takes a stand against unfair labour practices gets my vote. Individuals fighting for a decent living wage against a corporation flush with cash should get support, given that their claims are legitimate, which as I think most people know, they usually are. If Apple is screwing its employees they should be taken to task. This is not a dumbass patent claim.
Indeed. I happen to enjoy following the technological pursuits of Apple, but the constant drum beat of myopic fanaticism on this site (and MacRumors in particular) is very tiring... On this topic, It's hard to have an opinion without more information, but from experience I would bet most of what this person claims is accurate. If all the allegations are true, it's upsetting to see Apple behaving like this and I would hope Steve Jobs doesn't encourage this type of thing. Hard work and high expectations are one thing, but cheating good people out of due pay and treating them like trash is unacceptable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rot'nApple
Obama says "um" a lot, as well as "ah" and "uh"!
Obama also was the president of the Harvard Law Review and taught constitutional law for a decade at a large university. I don't think anyone questions his general intelligence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiggin
However he was classified is mostly irrelevant. If he was paid an annual salary (as opposed to an hourly wage) and he accepted that as terms of his employment then that's the agreement both sides need to abide by. He was apparently accepting of those terms for 12 years.....
Solely the fact that you are a salaried employee doesn't inherently exempt you from over time pay. It's much more complex than that.
How many of you actually worked for Apple? I bet the vast majority of you defending Apple has never worked for Apple.
I have worked for Apple and lawsuits like this are way over due. Apple is squeezing their employees for as much as they can.
Apple has profited immensely from their employees hard work and determination.
In 2004 Apple's annual profit was $276m. Today it's $3.698b. A 1339% increase. During that same time their bank account went from $5.5b to $20.7b. A 376% increase. It's obvious they're not hurting for money.
What did the employees get? Last year a measly 2%. Year before that, 0%.
But how much of this can an employee take before saying "I Quit!"?
If the employees wants to get a share of Apple's profit. Then let them do what Apple shareholders do. BUY AAPL STOCKS. I'm sure Apple offers it's employees some sort of investment program whereby they can buy shares of AAPL without brokerage fees or minimum shares. Most likely they can just put aside a certain amount of their paycheck every week (or two) and convert it AAPL shares. Or fraction there of. You won't get rich working for Apple. But you can get rich by investing in AAPL.
And how many of these employees are willing to take a pay cut when or if Apple loses money?
...That doesn't mean that they have the right to ignore labor laws, but then, it hasn't yet been established that they are guilty of that.
We need more details on the prevalence of this "classifying of engineers as management" -- some evidence on this, if and where it occurs, Apple or otherwise.
NO. If I see Apple breaking labor laws, I'm getting a C.A. Lawyer.
I'm sure that Apple is shaking in their boots over you. DavidW had a great response to your childish remarks. Grow up, neither the World, or Apple, owes you a living.
Here's a clue for you. If you are no longer an employee, and you think that you see a labor law violation, no law-ya is going to pay any attention to you, because you will have no standingin the matter. If you want to report violations, that's another matter, but a law-ya will not be of any help, and in fact, that's not where you do such reporting.
You are not now, nor were you ever, entitled to one red cent from Apple beyond your wages. You're looking for a law suit so that you can get "a payday" that you didn't earn.
Comments
In 2004 Apple's annual profit was $276m. Today it's $3.698b. A 1339% increase. During that same time their bank account went from $5.5b to $20.7b. A 376% increase. It's obvious they're not hurting for money.
What did the employees get? Last year a measly 2%. Year before that, 0%.
You make a good point if Apple offered its employees no cost-of-living adjustment.
However, your numbers conveniently overlook that Apple's increased profits and cash resulted, at least in part, from increased sales which were not necessarily built on the backs of existing employees: Apple expanded it own retail operations adding both stores and head count as well as growing third-party retailers. It also offered new products which expanded sales opportunities.
How come everyone is making this guy the villain out of hand? Even if labor practices in the US generally are abusive and suck, why does that make it in any way acceptable? Apple is a big employer, a big corporation and just because we love most things Apple the company should not be above criticism. Anyone who takes a stand against unfair labour practices gets my vote. Individuals fighting for a decent living wage against a corporation flush with cash should get support, given that their claims are legitimate, which as I think most people know, they usually are. If Apple is screwing its employees they should be taken to task. This is not a dumbass patent claim.
Indeed. I happen to enjoy following the technological pursuits of Apple, but the constant drum beat of myopic fanaticism on this site (and MacRumors in particular) is very tiring... On this topic, It's hard to have an opinion without more information, but from experience I would bet most of what this person claims is accurate. If all the allegations are true, it's upsetting to see Apple behaving like this and I would hope Steve Jobs doesn't encourage this type of thing. Hard work and high expectations are one thing, but cheating good people out of due pay and treating them like trash is unacceptable.
Obama says "um" a lot, as well as "ah" and "uh"!
Obama also was the president of the Harvard Law Review and taught constitutional law for a decade at a large university. I don't think anyone questions his general intelligence.
However he was classified is mostly irrelevant. If he was paid an annual salary (as opposed to an hourly wage) and he accepted that as terms of his employment then that's the agreement both sides need to abide by. He was apparently accepting of those terms for 12 years.....
Solely the fact that you are a salaried employee doesn't inherently exempt you from over time pay. It's much more complex than that.
Anyone notice that Apple has always had a sort of Communist feel. I am not surprised that they would do this to "the worker"
'Communist feel'?
Please elaborate. I haven't had a real larf all day.
How many of you actually worked for Apple? I bet the vast majority of you defending Apple has never worked for Apple.
I have worked for Apple and lawsuits like this are way over due. Apple is squeezing their employees for as much as they can.
Apple has profited immensely from their employees hard work and determination.
In 2004 Apple's annual profit was $276m. Today it's $3.698b. A 1339% increase. During that same time their bank account went from $5.5b to $20.7b. A 376% increase. It's obvious they're not hurting for money.
What did the employees get? Last year a measly 2%. Year before that, 0%.
But how much of this can an employee take before saying "I Quit!"?
If the employees wants to get a share of Apple's profit. Then let them do what Apple shareholders do. BUY AAPL STOCKS. I'm sure Apple offers it's employees some sort of investment program whereby they can buy shares of AAPL without brokerage fees or minimum shares. Most likely they can just put aside a certain amount of their paycheck every week (or two) and convert it AAPL shares. Or fraction there of. You won't get rich working for Apple. But you can get rich by investing in AAPL.
And how many of these employees are willing to take a pay cut when or if Apple loses money?
...That doesn't mean that they have the right to ignore labor laws, but then, it hasn't yet been established that they are guilty of that.
We need more details on the prevalence of this "classifying of engineers as management" -- some evidence on this, if and where it occurs, Apple or otherwise.
Is it a widely exploited loophole?
Employees are paid wages, take it, or leave it....As long as you have been paid, Apple owes you nothing. Get over it.
NO. If I see Apple breaking labor laws, I'm getting a C.A. Lawyer.
'Communist feel'?
Please elaborate. I haven't had a real larf all day.
You don't get out much. You probably spend all of your free time on apple forums.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/te...y/30apple.html
NO. If I see Apple breaking labor laws, I'm getting a C.A. Lawyer.
I'm sure that Apple is shaking in their boots over you. DavidW had a great response to your childish remarks. Grow up, neither the World, or Apple, owes you a living.
Here's a clue for you. If you are no longer an employee, and you think that you see a labor law violation, no law-ya is going to pay any attention to you, because you will have no standingin the matter. If you want to report violations, that's another matter, but a law-ya will not be of any help, and in fact, that's not where you do such reporting.
You are not now, nor were you ever, entitled to one red cent from Apple beyond your wages. You're looking for a law suit so that you can get "a payday" that you didn't earn.