Workers Sickened at Apple Supplier in China

Source: NYT

Published: February 22, 2011

SUZHOU, China — Last week, when Apple released its annual review of labor conditions at its global suppliers, one startling revelation stood out: 137 workers at a factory here had been seriously injured by a toxic chemical used in making the signature slick glass screens of the iPhone.

Apple, describing it as a “core violation” of worker safety, said that it had ordered the contractor to stop using the chemical and to improve safety conditions at the plant. Apple also said that it would monitor the medical conditions of those workers.

But in interviews last weekend, nearly a dozen employees who say they were harmed by the chemical said they had never heard from anyone at Apple.

Instead, they said the contractor — a Taiwanese-owned company called Wintek — had pressed them and many other affected workers to resign and accept cash settlements that would absolve the factory of future liability, charges the company denied.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/technology/23apple.html?src=busln

This is an issue between Apple and their company. Their issue is with their company.

If the company is doing anything wrong, and if Apple doesn't believe they'll improve, Apple will dump them as a supplier.

Apple did it with a few companies already, noted in this review.

Also, I assume that everyone is surfing the web on a cardboard box and not on any electronics, since they are all made in China under poisonous/slave conditions, no matter the manufacturer.

Apple doesn't get a pass because they are "Apple".

Plain and simple; They fucked up.
They alone created the specs for the iPhone and the process to manufacture them.

Apple reported it for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and that is the ONLY reason.


Just because there are wood chips in your cereal, doesn't make it right!

(on edit: Thanks for removing your line... "they are working to fix it." because they are only working to cover their collective asses)

But Apple only receives these high profile stories because they are Apple.

They're not the only company that is supplied by China.

I'm just not a big fan of any company causing the demise of humanity for profit. Apple owns the market share of the mobile phone industry and are the largest target due to the volume of high-priced phones they are manufacturing. If another company was in their position, they'd be in the cross-hairs as well.

Apple is in the pole position right now, and the most guilty.

But this was touchscreen glass. Corning designs the glass, I don't think Apple designed the touchscreen tech or manufacturing methods either.

Apple designed their chips being made at Samsung and designed many of the processes used at Foxconn to make the final phone.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/31/exposed-apples-terrible-sin-in-china-tctv/">Exposed: Apple’s Terrible Sin in China (TCTV

- With Capitalism, it's all about THE GREED.

:sarcasm:




Anyone pushing free trade deals (Obama) and globalization should rightly be seen as an enemy of the American working people.