Protest Agains Apple

ow We Won

Apr 04, 2012

Absolutely incredible.  After more than a quarter million Apple customers from around the world united their voices and took a stand against one of the most profitable corporations in the world, we've won.

Following investigations by the Fair Labor Association, Apple has vowed to sharply curtail working hours to 49 hours per week and significantly increase wages inside their Chinese plants.  The New York Times reports that:  "the impact of Foxconn’s hour and wage reforms could signal a new, wide-reaching change in working conditions throughout China."

So thank you to everyone who signed the petition.  It just goes to show that together, we can make real change.

Update:

Major media outlets from around the world have reported on the terrible quality of life for the workers in these factories.  Apple has clearly taken the reports seriously - because they're taking action on them.  So, while This American Life may be retracting 'Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory,' it seems like the issues and facts at the core of this story are still the same. As an Apple customer, I'm glad to have had my eyes opened to these issues, and to have had a chance to do something about them.  My sincere hope is that everyone stays focused on what's important here - which is protecting the well-being of these factory workers.

Dear Apple,

You know what’s awesome? Listening to NPR podcasts through an Apple Airport, playing through a Mac laptop, while puttering about the kitchen. Do you know the fastest way to replace awesome with a terrible knot in your stomach? Learning that your beloved Apple products are made in factories where conditions are so bad, it’s not uncommon for workers to permanently lose the use of their hands.

Last week’s This American Life shined a spotlight on the working conditions in the Chinese factories where iPhones are made. Just one example of the hardships there: the men and women in these factories work very long days spent repeating...