iFactory the very first look at the Apple factory

[john1]

Don't you believe that the people who help a company grow should be rewarded with a decent pay? Without those workers, Apple would be in the crapper. The CEO of Apple himself isn't going to assemble them you know that. Without workers, your businesses would be in bad shape too.

Why don't we get back on topic because after this, it's going to be nothing but personal attacks.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Based on pay compared to us, yes it stinks but nothing else about that factory appeared much different than many here in the US

I think the whole episode was milquetoast. Not at all in depth or undercover. 20 minutes of jibber jabber. Based on previous reports you were expecting to see a dirty, unsafe sweatshop with forced labor. This really looks no different inside than any other factory in this world. The episode proved nothing. I would like to see reports of the dozens of factories in China far worse than this producing our other goods we take for granted.

 

[bjones]

Don't you believe that the people who help a company grow should be rewarded with a decent pay? Without those workers, Apple would be in the crapper. The CEO of Apple himself isn't going to assemble them you know that. Without workers, your businesses would be in bad shape too.

Why don't we get back on topic because after this, it's going to be nothing but personal attacks.

Decent by who's standard? Did you even research this a little bit? Foxconn workers generally ARE paid well over the average wage (min wage in china is approx 140 bucks US, average Foxconn worker salary is 290) and have better conditions than almost all of the competition in the same market.

Here's something I bet you didn't know... Hon Hai is possibly the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer and employs 800,000 people in China who churn out products for Apple, Nokia, Dell, Sony and Nintendo. Guess who owns Foxconn? Not apple, Hon Hai. Look up Hon Hai's profits.

 

[weaselboogie]

This is a great listen about apple, foxconn:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/454/mr-daisey-and-the-apple-factory

 

[CentralSigns]

You link will not let Canadians view the site. Only US territories may view this video. Sucks wanted to see the factory

 

[GAC05]

I watched the video
Looks like racial profiling going on in the HR department.
Everyone shown on camera working there seemed of Asian heritage.

Same story from a different point of view:
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/activate/2011/09/201194144739197637.html

wayne k
guam usa

 

[Mosh]

If ipads were made in Nebraska they would only cost $95, I only pay my "cans" $.74 an hour. Remember don't be a mexican't is what I tell them when they complain!

 

[2972renfro]

People in China don't make much per hour.... and in other news.... water is wet

 

[HulkSmash]

Wow, not looking good for Apple in my book after watching that. I'm almost embarrassed to have a iPhone. Why don't they raise their iWages?

Thanks for posting this!

Better stop buying furniture, using cell phones, watching television, driving some cars, using toilet paper, printing on your printers, etc....etc...etc..

i understand to us it's disgusting, but...this is a common pay for these people. If you were a multi billion dollar company - you wouldn't find the easiest, and cheapest way to manufacture your product? These are employees, it's their decision to work

 

[phototec]

Based on pay compared to us, yes it stinks but nothing else about that factory appeared much different than many here in the US.

Oh really, I have never ever seen large suicide nets placed around any US factory (work place), have you?

The main reason I posted this video was to show the difference between what Apple, which has become the largest company in the WORLD, making the MOST money, Apple has more than $76 billion in cash and marketable securities on its balance sheet, makes in terms of profits compared to what they pay the 1000's of people who actually build the products.

We all know China wages are lower then in the US, that's why all our jobs are going over there, my only problem is the delta between the workers at Foxconn making less than $2 per hour and Apple having $76 billion in cash reserves. HP, Dell and all the other companies you mention don't have anywhere near that kind of cash setting around.

I went to work for Dell in 1999 and at that time Dell was building their computers in Round Rock Texas, and Johnson City Tennessee paying above fair market wages to US workers. My starting salary was over $50k and a few of the other folks working in the graphics group were what we called Dellionaires, one graphic designer I worked with, had over 4 million in Dell stock, he is Dell employee #24, he started working along side Michael Dell as the 24th employee Michael hired in Austin TX, as he started to build his company back in 1984 working out of a strip mall location.

Anyway, back on subject, I know we are all in business to make money, make a profit, but I do believe you should share with the folks who help you make your profits and build your business. God forbid, if China would suffer an earth quake-tsunami like Japan, and shut down FoxConn, what would Apple do?

I don't know, $2 per hour/$76 billion in cash reserves, maybe it's just me but that doesn't sound fair.

 

[CES020]

So if you get a sign job that's outside your scope for $10,000 and you subcontract it out and they quote you $200 to make it all, do you go back to them and say that you made too much money and you want to share it with them, or do you put the money in your pocket, knowing that they quoted the job and you paid them what they asked for it?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

 

[GypsyGraphics]

didn't you guys figure out that the Gold Rush Alaska guys are making less than a buck an hour?
hmmm... much harsher working conditions and no hour long lunch breaks

 

[Speedsterbeast]

The U.S. may be headed for the same fate in our lifetime.

 

[Pat Whatley]

You want to really be upset? I'll dig for it when I get to the shop but a couple of months ago I ran across an article that showed that making iphones in the USA would only raise the RETAIL price $6.....less than a 1% price increase and they could have employed THOUSANDS of American workers.

 

[TheSnowman]

Remember don't be a mexican't is what I tell them when they complain!

Extra douche points for this one.

 

[GypsyGraphics]

You want to really be upset? I'll dig for it when I get to the shop but a couple of months ago I ran across an article that showed that making iphones in the USA would only raise the RETAIL price $6.....less than a 1% price increase and they could have employed THOUSANDS of American workers.

how is that possible when minimum wage is $8?
i doubt they could even get enough people, willing to work for minimum wage, to meet the demand.

too many people who'd rather collect unemployment than work for minimum wage... it's a sorry state of affairs.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

You want to really be upset? I'll dig for it when I get to the shop but a couple of months ago I ran across an article that showed that making iphones in the USA would only raise the RETAIL price $6.....less than a 1% price increase and they could have employed THOUSANDS of American workers.

Here is a NY Times article talking about why Apple among many others have taken their jobs overseas

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/b...d-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?pagewanted=all

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

I went to work for Dell in 1999 and at that time Dell was building their computers in Round Rock Texas, and Johnson City Tennessee paying above fair market wages to US workers. My starting salary was over $50k and a few of the other folks working in the graphics group were what we called Dellionaires, one graphic designer I worked with, had over 4 million in Dell stock, he is Dell employee #24, he started working along side Michael Dell as the 24th employee Michael hired in Austin TX, as he started to build his company back in 1984 working out of a strip mall location.

This is OT, but I remember back when I worked as a striper at American IronHorse Motorcycle factory a contingent of about 30 guys flew into the airport up the road from Austin. It was Michael Dell and associates coming to view the factory to see about investing in it as we were the #2 mfr of cycles in the country at the time. The investment guy who brought them in later told us every single one of them was a mutlimillionaire. I'll never forget Michael Dell strolling up to watch me stripe and saying "here's where all the action is". Wish I'd had the presence of mind to ask for a loan!. I would have liked to have been one of the early employees who all became wealthy. I wonder how often bob has kicked himself for turning down the job offer from Steve Jobs when Apple was started?

 

[2972renfro]

Oh really, I have never ever seen large suicide nets placed around any US factory (work place), have you?

The main reason I posted this video was to show the difference between what Apple, which has become the largest company in the WORLD, making the MOST money, Apple has more than $76 billion in cash and marketable securities on its balance sheet, makes in terms of profits compared to what they pay the 1000's of people who actually build the products.

We all know China wages are lower then in the US, that's why all our jobs are going over there, my only problem is the delta between the workers at Foxconn making less than $2 per hour and Apple having $76 billion in cash reserves. HP, Dell and all the other companies you mention don't have anywhere near that kind of cash setting around.

I went to work for Dell in 1999 and at that time Dell was building their computers in Round Rock Texas, and Johnson City Tennessee paying above fair market wages to US workers. My starting salary was over $50k and a few of the other folks working in the graphics group were what we called Dellionaires, one graphic designer I worked with, had over 4 million in Dell stock, he is Dell employee #24, he started working along side Michael Dell as the 24th employee Michael hired in Austin TX, as he started to build his company back in 1984 working out of a strip mall location.

Anyway, back on subject, I know we are all in business to make money, make a profit, but I do believe you should share with the folks who help you make your profits and build your business. God forbid, if China would suffer an earth quake-tsunami like Japan, and shut down FoxConn, what would Apple do?

I don't know, $2 per hour/$76 billion in cash reserves, maybe it's just me but that doesn't sound fair.

Maybe the nets are there for PR purposes. Look it up, the suicide rate is much lower here than the rest of the country. Maybe it is a China problem and not a Foxconn/Apple problem. Had the press not gotten wind of this story, the nets probably would not be there. Personally I think the nets are a depressing reminder

Apple used to build their computers/components in the US as well. They are just doing what almost every tech giant has done by moving operations to China. At least apple has chose to keep their call center jobs here in the US so you can speak to someone that has a grasp of the english language. Read the article from VD how it is not as simple as moving everything over here. This trend started a long time before Apple or any other tech company started doing business there

 

[CES020]

Steve Jobs is gone, so now there's no one to hate at Apple. I guess now we'll have to come up with other reasons to hate Apple. If you can't find a reason, let's make some up and only apply them to Apple and we'll ignore if anyone else is doing the same thing.