Mark Shields' Petition Calls For Apple To 'Protect Workers Making iPhones In Chinese Factories'

Apple customers are calling for Apple to intervene in the reportedly dangerous and unfair labor practices at Chinese factories in the company's supplier chain.

iDevice user Mark Shields of Washington D.C. recently started a petition, published on social activism site Change.org, that has garnered over 150,000 signatures.

Shields wrote the following in an open letter to Apple:

You're supposed to think different. I want to continue to use and love the products you make, because they're changing the world, and have already changed my life. But I also want to know that when I buy products from you, it's not at the cost of horrible human suffering.

Based on the comments attached to the petition, it appears that many of the signers, like Shields, are also Apple fans who are calling on Apple to take an active hand in protecting the rights of workers in the company's manufacturing chain, a global network of partners that includes juggernauts like Samsung, Sony and Foxconn, as well as lesser-known companies like TriQuint Semiconductor.

Shields wrote on Change.org that he was shocked into action after hearing a January 6 radio broadcast of "This American Life," which detailed abuses at Apple supplier factories in China.

The segment stated, for example, that employees work long hours at repetitive tasks and that it's not uncommon for employees to get such bad carpal tunnel that they lose the use of their hands completely. Shields wrote in an open letter to Apple that the carpal tunnel problem mentioned on "This American Life" could be alleviated if workers were simply rotated through different tasks instead of performing the same one over and over during a shift that, according to a CNN report, can last up to 35 hours.

Shields' petition has two demands. The first calls for Apple to create a "worker protection strategy" to address how the company will keep workers safe during new product launches, which Shields said is when the most injuries happen due to the need to get a high volume of product out in a short time. The second demand is for Apple to publish the results of the Fair Labor Association's monitoring of Apple suppliers' working conditions.

In January, Apple announced that it would allow the FLA to conduct independent audits of its component suppliers. This announcement was made at the same time that the company released for the first time a list of 156 of its supplier partners. Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the time that the company had conducted 229 supplier audits of its own in 2011, which according to Reuters, was an 80 percent increase over 2010. Among the violations uncovered were six active cases of underage labor. Cook said, per Reuters, "All of this means that workers will be treated better and better with each passing year. It's not something we feel like we have done what we can do, much remains to be done."

Major publications have, in the past, covered conditions in Foxconn component factories (see, for example, Wired's March 2011 cover story, "1 Million Workers. 90 Million iPhones. 17 Suicides. Who's to Blame?"). A New York Times article published on January 26 offered a shocking behind-the-scenes look at multiple factories where Apple components are made under conditions that have reportedly led to high stress, injuries and even suicides among workers. The article implicated consumers, as well as factory owners, regulatory bodies and Apple.

"You can either manufacture in comfortable, worker-friendly factories, or you can reinvent the product every year, and make it better and faster and cheaper, which requires factories that seem harsh by American standards,” a current Apple executive was quoted by the Times. “And right now, customers care more about a new iPhone than working conditions in China.”

As a result of the Times article, Cook wrote an email to Apple employees in which he reiterated the company's commitment to workers along the supply chain. "What we will not do - and never have done - is stand still or turn a blind eye to problems in our supply chain," Cook's email read, according to Reuters.

"Any suggestion that we don't care is patently false and offensive to us," the email went on to say.

Despite deplorable working conditions in many factories, free food and lodging and a steady paycheck continue to make jobs at China's electronics contracting factories extremely desirable. On Monday, thousands of job-seekers waited for hours in the hopes of getting a job at Foxconn, which is one of the largest employers in mainland China. According to M.I.C. Gadget, the manufacturing giant is looking to add 100,000 new employees to its Zhengzhou factory.

Check out a clip of Jon Stewart arguing with Siri over Foxconn conditions (below).

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Comments

[bonsai-man]

10:37 AM on 02/27/2012

Apple have reacted, but what about the rest of the industry? http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-27/no-company-follows-apple-allowing-expanded-china-audits-amid-abuses-tech.html

[MSW2012]

09:41 AM on 02/07/2012

Global companies particularly have an ethical and moral responsibility in how they make a profit because of their impact and influence in the world. They cannot run away from this or just ignore it if they want to keep their integrity and reputation. Besides using profit for investment for future products, development and research etc. they should also invest in the people and improving their circumstances, use a few billions of dollars and people will thank you for it (there is still enough left and interestingly will benefit companies even on the long run if they do).

Too many people and perhaps in this case particularly CEOs, managing directors, executives seem not to care, (even if they say it) because they are emotionally detached from it all. It doesn't bite them and in turn affects their decision making.

Its not their own son, or daughter, father or mother who is working under these circumstances. If it was they would immediately take action (unless they don't love them) and sound the alarm, because it touches them, it hurts them, its affects them and they fortunately have the power and position to do something about it. That's the nature of good leadership, making changes that benefits all.

So Apple should use their influence to Think Different and make it a better place also for tomorrow, and they shouldn’t hide behind the code of conduct if it doesn't have a serious bite to tackle present issues.

[pooteh]

07:52 AM on 02/04/2012

Its perverse that folks are worrying over chinese workers when 45 million americans are on food stamps.

Go read the new york times article "How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work" to understand why apple has to do what it does just to keep the americans it does employed employed. The ignorant are stabbing our own people in the back, what are your alternatives? if you do the math the apple products could never be made in the us, at any price. china has the power to steal american companies technology and drive google out of its country, and yet you cry over their workers? as I said before..perverse. many of those "foxconn" employees save enough to build homes when they go back to their villages, mcjobbers in america are left in permanent poverty, so why not turn your gaze back at your own country before you cry about others.... it just really looks pathetic once you really look at whats going on in america.

[BlueGorilla]

01:59 AM on 02/04/2012

Well contrary to what the current Apple executive exploiter thinks ,many Apple customers want something better than Stalinist gulag conditions for the people who make their favourite products.Apple has acted as if their behaviour is acceptable..it isn't .I won't buy any Apple products until they start treating their employees like human beings.The modern corporation behaves like a sociopath. to whom moving production to the often anti-union southern states of the USA isn't enough,even though wages here and elsewhere in the USA can be so low as to make employees dependent on welfare (step forward Walmart and other sociopathic corporations)..No the pseudo-patriotic corporation goes to places where the labour is at virtual slave levels..in fact the ban on free trade unions make the workers of countries like China into actual slaves in many ways (note to right wingers..freedom includes the right to join a trade union.). Apple has lost the respect of millions of people and the Steve Jobs legacy is of a world where the lives of workers are made miserable,in order for customers to enjoy a cheaper deal on a range of now tarnished products. That lack of humanity has shattered Steve Jobs' and Apples' image ...the jobs bring cruelty and repression.The Chinese labour laws bring suffering and cheap labour , Apple knew this when they looked for a labour force to make their products, but Apple didn't care.The core of this Apple looks rotten ...

[marilread]

10:54 PM on 02/02/2012

Apple and workers at industry...suicide

Suicide was a typically western problem,part of industrial society and the move to the city,congestion,
competition,the strain of city life. Although Japan was probably the one exception for high levels of
suicide,and the student suicide levels at one time were of alarming rates. Suicide is often the
result of personal gloom and hopelessness. However there are cultural systems as well...we too
often in psychological,psychiatric,sociological analysis try to reduce people so that all ailments
are thought to be neurological, have solely a somatic orogin 100 %. However if we look at these
emerging and diversified cultures,increasingly industrialized,and a very educated society which
I imagine china to be given its history,I also must raise the question as to whether a fight
against meaninglessness,in an increasingly automated and secularized society may be the
cause. This is a problem also in western societies fighting against hyper unemployment
and lowering wage rates. How do we fit in to this new world...we dont know all the reasons if this
is an increased level of suicide,but as china resembles a more western type society in terms of
industrialization,this may be a problem...local party officials should be alerted to look into
dealing with the health of industrial workers in cooperation with apple.

[Catherine Hester]

06:05 PM on 02/03/2012

Your Historical analysis of the capitalistic materialistic process and it's detrimental effect on the unfortunate workers who do the production is well argued and does Marx proud. The Alienation effect is the unfortunate result of any production for personal gain and the simple solution to it ALL is supply and demand. If the demand for these products were removed the production process would reduce in kind and prevent so much SUFFERING?

[Catherine Hester]

06:40 PM on 02/02/2012

It would seem that Technology is one mans Heaven, and another mans Hell to create, such is the nature of advancement?

[pooteh]

07:56 AM on 02/04/2012

The workers are not slaves, they choose to leave their farming villages hundreds of miles away for the simple reason that factories are better than toiling int he field. This crying over conditions is based on not understanding how economics work and how countries climb the ladder of development. This misunderstanding leads to lefties retarding the growth in many countries...notably in africa. China ignores these folks and has had its meteoric rise, the number of millionaires being created there is amazing, their rise out of poverty is amazing, and the crying of yuppies in america over supposed chinese suffering while 45 million americans are on food stamps is amazing.

[Catherine Hester]

06:30 PM on 02/04/2012

I understand perfectly how economics works, particularly when the GREEDY top 1% of business moguls don't pay their fair share of their taxes, bleeding their workers by taxing their menial salaries and then BLEEDING them again to bail out the corrupt Bankers who participate in seedy offshore deals, Lord? Ashcroft springs to mind, while hypocritically preaching moral obligations for the rest of the population. As for China, it's human ethics are non-existent due to this amazing rise out of poverty which you so obviously glorify. All those Right-wingers are obviously not in it together with what is left of the normal human race?

[sw4eq]

03:40 PM on 02/02/2012

Terrorist capitalism

[sw4eq]

03:20 PM on 02/02/2012

I think it's an important petition. We can take this massive problem on, one company at a time. I pledge to buy no Apple products until manufacturing returns to the U.S. I think Steve would want it that way.

[JohnBryansFontaine]

02:47 PM on 02/02/2012

162,000 Sign Petition Targeting Apple's Chinese Factory Conditions
By Grant Gross

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/249220/162000_sign_petition_targeting_apples_chinese_factory_conditions.html

[sw4eq]

03:26 PM on 02/02/2012

Thanks for posting the petition site.

[JohnBryansFontaine]

04:43 PM on 02/02/2012

You're welcome, Sw4eq. I hope that it reaches 200,000 signatures.

[lnedykstra]

02:23 PM on 02/02/2012

Hmm ... is it just me (maybe so), but even if Apple decides to keep things status quo, this will in no way hinder my desire for their newest gadget. Of course I feel sorry for the workers, but there's nothing I can do to change it. Maybe they should remove the ugly stain of communism from over their heads.

[Charles Furman]

10:44 AM on 02/02/2012

This petition is silly. It will accomplish nothing, the only reason big corporations have Chinese investments is the absurdly low labor costs. This has been going on for decades. The reason labor costs are low: Chinese authorities dont care about the well-being of their average "worker ant" beyond the worker's capability to fashion together widgets in an assembly line for a few decades before they succumb to some awful disease, likely caused by the horrific air pollution in Chinese cities. (Hey, people die young they dont have to be cared for!) (Chinese pollution of the WORLD is a bigger problem, and more worthy of a petition... even though that will accomplish even less than the Apple petition)

But I digress.. I'm sure Apple will make some token response, and in a few months everyone will forget and its business as usual.

[pooteh]

07:57 AM on 02/04/2012

In any case if you ham string apple vs its competitors, what good does that do.

Make apple less competitive and you end up buying korean or japanese products, who use their own engineers and programmers instead of americans, and we lose even those few jobs we have left.

[cog702]

09:26 AM on 02/02/2012

Apple, Walmart, Target and other big corp says it's not their problem. They in good faith contract their production to Red China and give them an employee policy... with a demand for the lowest cost. After doing all that it's not their responsibility, nor what they have done is illegal. So they will say our hands are clean but of course if American workers would be willing to work for the same wages and lack of benefits we would rather do it here... Saves on shipping cost.

[Pabloe Cruuz]

01:59 AM on 02/02/2012

Hey,
Idiots on parade!
It's called Communism, you know the same path BaBa Gump and Hillary are taking us now.
It's the conditions of the "country" not the "company"

[Ed whowannaknow]

06:53 AM on 02/02/2012

Oh now Obama is communist? Socialist didnt float your boat enough, so now you have to try throwing out another term?

[cog702]

09:29 AM on 02/02/2012

Did not know Obama owned or ran Apple or any of the other big businesses who ship jobs out for more profit. I think that is a republican agenda. Forcing down wages and benefits a republican mantra.

[JORGE BARREIRO]

11:48 PM on 02/01/2012

I agree. I'm an Apple fan but I want my hands clean.

[Ed whowannaknow]

06:54 AM on 02/02/2012

Your hands are NOT clean. Not using I-crap.

[yeshia]

02:06 PM on 02/02/2012

You won't find a phone that is manufactured by anyone but 5 year old chinese children.

[gweedosezz]

08:35 PM on 02/01/2012

Ahh, the delicious irony. Communism, the Holy Grail of Capitalism.

Now if we could just restore these same working conditions to our country, we could once again compete as a world manufacturing power.

[wrongdirection]

10:19 PM on 02/01/2012

My thoughts exactly!! Apple has something like 80 billion dollars. I mean why get involve with the commies, the peoples republic of china, ect. Apple needs to build their own factories inland and put some of their customers and unemployed here to work?

[tjdwill02]

10:32 PM on 02/01/2012

The early days of capitalism, was the first chance that the poor ever had a chance to survive.Why do liberals feel it necessary to interfere with the economic process that grew the U.S. into the super power that it came to be ?

[helioszephyr]

01:34 PM on 02/02/2012

Why? Because what your first sentence describes is no longer effective. The opportunities/benefits of capitalism, as it exists today, is no longer available to common people, only to the 1%

Having said that, I think people should support Apple, not bash it. It's the last of the iconic examples of true capitalism... started in a garage by 2 individuals with no special advantages. Instead of purchasing foreign brands (i.e. Samsung, Sony, HTC, Asus, etc.) we should be purchasing domestic brands Apple, Moto, MS, Dell, HP.