rough draft #2

Meara Stack

Writing 1120

Eric Leake

28 February 2012

Title

            It is no secret that Apple is one of the world’s most successful companies. As of 2011, Apple’s net worth was 302.47 billion dollars and continues to grow. Apple products are instantly recognized worldwide and especially in the United States it is uncommon to not own an Apple product. Whether it is an iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, people cannot get enough of Apple. This company had total worldwide sales of 65.23 billion dollars in 2011 and this number will continue to grow as Apple continues to release new technology. Until recently, Apple dominated the news each time former CEO Steve Jobs released the latest version iPhone to the public in highly anticipated and publicized event. Each unveiling of a new product reminds me of the part in the Lion King when baby Simba is held up majesty for all of the animal kingdom to praise and worship. When new Apple products are released, those crazed Apple fanatics go gaga and start drooling over them desperately wanting to own one, even though their iPhone 3S still works perfectly. However, after recent explosions and suicides in the Apple manufactory in China, Apple has been receiving quite a bit of negative press.

            Unknown or simply ignored by many Apple consumers, the production of these sleek technological masterpieces is just as important as their invention and design. With such an enormous and ever growing demand for these products, production is under more pressure than ever. Underneath the glamorous display in every Apple store, lies millions of young Chinese workers working relentlessly on the same small task day in and day out to make an iPhone or iPad.

            What exactly goes on in the Foxconn factories where Apple products are made used to be a mystery until ABC’s Nighline reporter, Billy Weir, was granted full camera access to every employee and machine inside. In a preview to his investigation, Weir wrote he believes the reason he was finally granted access inside the Foxconn was a result of the recent explosions inside the factory and suicides committed by Foxconn employees. Apple executives were not happy with the negative press they were receiving so not only did they invite Weir and his camera crew inside, but also members of the Fair Labor Association (FLA). The FLA assessed the working conditions and mental conditions of the workers. Their report and analysis will be released sometime in March. Maybe then we can truly conclude whether Apple treats their Foxconn factory workers fairly or not. But until those reports are released, we can make our own conclusions based on the evidence presented in Nightline’s thirty-minute broadcast.

            I first heard about this story through Yahooo! News one day when I was browsing for something interesting to read. I watched the three-minute preview clip aimed at grabbing people’s attention so they would watch the full story the next night and it definitely caught my interest. Then I proceeded to read Billy Weir’s introduction and background story about why he was doing this news story. At the time I was unaware of the explosions and suicides that brought the negative attention to Apple. Like many of my peers, I assume, I was also unaware of Foxconn and the mass production of Apple products that take place there. I knew the production of these products had to be taking place in China like most of the products I consume on a regular basis but I did not realize to what scale and magnitude. Nor did I know that most of the production is completed by hand, not by machine.

            With my interest spiked, I sat down and watched ABC’s Nightline special title “Inside Apple” not knowing what exactly to expect. What I saw was row after row after row of young Chinese workers doing the same mindless task over and over and over. One worker will insert the tiny camera into the iPad while another with dust off the touch screen and another will package the finish product. Thousands hands are required to make one iPad and they must repeat this process for twelve long hours a day to keep up with demands. They are paid on average $1.75 an hour and most employees live in dorms attached to the factory where rent is cheap. The most common complaints among workers when interviewed were low wages, crowded living conditions, tiredness, and boredom. When Weir addressed the recent suicides with the boss at Foxconn, he said his company’s suicide rate is lower than the national average in China and that Apple executives took measures to ensure the workers are mentally stable. Giant nets now hang on the sides of the buildings to prevent people from jumping out of the windows and workers now take surveys (on iPads, ironic?) to assess their mental conditions.

            Although there was no striking evidence that the factory workers were severally mistreated, I was curious to find out what other people thought. I thought that this news story might spark some sort of nation wide debate about being informed consumers and how big American companies treat their workers in China. Unfortunately, the big debate I was hoping for never happened. But the story did not go completely unnoticed. I did find some reputable sources talking about it the next day.

            While it did not make the headlines, the New York Times and the Huffington Post acknowledged this story. The Huffington Post mostly summarized the episode of Nightline, which did not help me in my quest to find the next great debate. However, the New York Times went deeper into the story. The end of the article raised questions raised if changes were actually going to be made not only inside the Faxconn factories, but also to China’s entire system of manufacturing by the billions. Big manufacturing companies such as Foxconn are worried young Chinese workers are becoming less willing to live and work in the factories. To compensate, Foxconn is now investing money in building robots to do some of the work. Will this solve the problem of workers unwilling to work for low wages or will it cause greater problems rising unemployment rates in an already struggling economy in China?

            I think it will be difficult to find all the answers to my questions. I believe the published reports from the FLA will help however, Americans will always have to demand for these products and therefore I believe consumers have to most power to make changes. Consumers need to be better informed about where all these products they purchase come from. If consumers protest how products are made and stop buying them, maybe then we will see changes in the way factory workers in China are treated. Now I know that is a lot to ask for and changes do not happen overnight, but judging by the comments I read to the article in the New York Times, it might be possible.

            That great debate that I was looking for, well I found it, from three hundred passionate people leaving comments online. Comments range from bitterly sarcastic to aggressively angry at anyone they can blame. Some people argue that outsourcing will always exist due to cheap labor and heavy demand from the United States and others are outraged at the working conditions in the factory.

            Time will tell if Apple makes any changes in favor of their factory workers in China. In addition to the extremely low wages, I believe the working conditions need to change as well. I hope that other large American companies will follow Apple’s example of at the very minimum of looking more closely at their factories in China. What Apple did, allowing unprecedented access into their factory, should encourage other companies to do the same and should make consumers more aware of where the products they buy come from. I look forward to reading the FLA’s report on the Foxconn workers and waiting for any type of change to take place in production factories in China.