ABC Previews 'Nightline' Visit to Foxconn's Chinese Factories

[illian]

I have to say, knowing how much Apple charges for their products, I am disgusted that they hire w/ a company like Foxconn that only pays it's employes $1.50 an hour. As much as I enjoy my Apple products, it makes me think twice about buying another.
People would be even more excited about and American company like Apple knowing that they make the products right here in the USA. It would certainly help our economy.


Made in the USA

Looks awesome and has a great ring to it.

True!! But do yourself a favor and don't look up Apple's profit margins on some of their devices

 

[Digital Skunk]

There are more people per thousand committing suicide in the GENERAL U.S. POPULATION and CERTAINLY in Detroit after the auto manufacturers' failures closed down most of area communities. Perhaps you should do the math before following the press blindly. Our founding fathers believed a free press would initiate citizens to become educated FURTHER not to blindly follow the latest iStory. What a disgrace we have become.

Again, claiming that someone is blindly following the press is a terrible argument, and certainly shows that you have NOTHING to add to the conversation.

Remember what was going on with the auto industry at the time, and how many eyes were on them ... read/watch/listen a bit more carefully, they got the same amount of attention, and were going through an entirely different set of issues as Foxconn.

We aren't talking suicides across the nation, we are talking about 17 suicides in the same COMPANY within a few months who all felt the need to jump out of windows.

GEEZE people wake the **** up!

 

[striker33]

True!! But do yourself a favor and don't look up Apple's profit margins on some of their devices

If they manufactured in the US, the prices would be double for what they are now across all of their lines.

 

[jackc]

I have to say, knowing how much Apple charges for their products, I am disgusted that they hire w/ a company like Foxconn that only pays it's employes $1.50 an hour. As much as I enjoy my Apple products, it makes me think twice about buying another.
People would be even more excited about Apple company if the knew that the products were made right here in the USA. It would certainly help our economy too.


Made in the USA

Looks awesome and has a great ring to it.

Sorry, but in your fantasy world, people are excited about paying more for products, businesses can raise wages with no other effects, and trading with other countries means they win and we lose.

 

[DanHolderman]

This should be American employees. (I know the cost argument..just saying...) What was the last Apple product that was assembled in the USA?

Don't go Apple bashing because they don't manufacture in America. A lot of companies import their goods from other countries.

American manufacturers have priced themselves out of the competition. A restrictive business tax climate coupled with a shortage of cheap labor in the U.S. has pushed many American companies to seek the manufacture of their products in other countries.

If you really want an American assembling the next iPad, there is nothing stopping you from going to China and applying for a job at Foxconn. Hope you don't mind the $1.50 a day pay!

 

[jackc]

Again, claiming that someone is blindly following the press is a terrible argument, and certainly shows that you have NOTHING to add to the conversation.

We aren't talking suicides across the nation, we are talking about 17 suicides in the same COMPANY within a few months who all felt the need to jump out of windows.

GEEZE people wake the **** up!

A company with 1 million people. It would be more surprising if there were no suicides.

 

[ScottishDuck]

ABC owned by Disney with Steve Jobs as a major shareholder.

OK.

 

[Warbrain]

Again, claiming that someone is blindly following the press is a terrible argument, and certainly shows that you have NOTHING to add to the conversation.

We aren't talking suicides across the nation, we are talking about 17 suicides in the same COMPANY within a few months who all felt the need to jump out of windows.

GEEZE people wake the **** up!

This is why you look at suicide rate and not the number of suicides. The rate is lower than that of the US or China.

I have to say, knowing how much Apple charges for their products, I am disgusted that they hire w/ a company like Foxconn that only pays it's employes $1.50 an hour. As much as I enjoy my Apple products, it makes me think twice about buying another.
People here would be even more excited about Apple as a company if they knew that the products were made right here in the USA. It would certainly help our economy too.


Made in the USA

Looks awesome and has a great ring to it.

What brand of shoes do you wear? Nike? Reebok?

 

[mrbrown]

This should be American employees. (I know the cost argument..just saying...) What was the last Apple product that was assembled in the USA?

I thought it was more of a labor issue, that is, you couldn't find enough Americans willing to assemble iPads to satisfy demand. At least that's what the Wall Street Journal or one of those papers published a while back...

 

[pdjudd]

We aren't talking suicides across the nation, we are talking about 17 suicides in the same COMPANY within a few months who all felt the need to jump out of windows.!

Foxconn employs well over 100,000 employees. They are massive. Country comparisons are pretty apt since Foxconn is that large.

 

[BigJayhawk]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

There are more people per thousand committing suicide in the GENERAL U.S. POPULATION and CERTAINLY in Detroit after the auto manufacturers' failures closed down most of area communities. Perhaps you should do the math before following the press blindly. Our founding fathers believed a free press would initiate citizens to become educated FURTHER not to blindly follow the latest iStory. What a disgrace we have become.

Again, claiming that someone is blindly following the press is a terrible argument, and certainly shows that you have NOTHING to add to the conversation.

We aren't talking suicides across the nation, we are talking about 17 suicides in the same COMPANY within a few months who all felt the need to jump out of windows.

GEEZE people wake the **** up!

Among nearly a million employees. Hmm? Miss math class in grade school?

Join the real world. Only in the U.S. are things not measured with REALITY in mind.

 

[rnizlek]

How very true! And the same people that complain about the working conditions would not be willing to pay $2,500 for an iPad...because it would cost that much or more if it were manufactured in the U.S.

Absolutely false. According to estimates prepared for the NY Times article, the additional cost to assemble an iPhone in the US would be $68 and change. So an iPad wouldn't cost $2,500. It might cost $600, but that's a far cry from $2,500.

The biggest advantage that China has is the integration of the supply chain and incredible manufacturer scale and flexibility. The difference in pay is nowhere near as stark as people make it out to be, as far as the costs of the end product are concerned.

 

[Macmoney]

Nightline should do a "expose" on where all my tax dollars
are going. Can I get a behind the scenes look policing that?

 

[illian]

If they manufactured in the US, the prices would be double for what they are now across all of their lines.

talking about Apple's profit, not the actual price

 

[DanHolderman]

ABC owned by Disney with Steve Jobs as a major shareholder.

OK.

Man, this is awkward......Umm....ahhh....I don't know how to say this but....

Steve Jobs is NO LONGER a major shareholder.....he's DEAD!

 

[myrtlebee]

why isnt there this same level of scrutiny of america's chicken farms?

I live fairly close to the headquarters of one of, if not America's top-producing chicken company - Perdue in Salisbury, MD. The entirety of Maryland's and Virginia's Eastern Shore, along with Southern Delaware, is dependent on the industry for the large majority of its economy. The chicken farms control policy decisions throughout the region with the good ol' boy system in local government. They raise hell whenever there are any new runoff restrictions and most inspectors have to spot any wrongdoing by helicopter because they have no legal grounds for access of the facilities. People really are not aware how nasty the insides of these "chicken factories" are. It really is gross. Simply look up Smithfield Ham's practices in Virginia if you want to be repulsed and replace chickens for pigs. You get the idea. Bottom line, whenever things involve animals and economic benefits for humans, you'll be waiting for a thousand years before there's sufficient scrutiny.

 

[gnasher729]

This should be American employees. (I know the cost argument..just saying...) What was the last Apple product that was assembled in the USA?

Why? Do you think Americans would want to move to China for a job at Foxconn?

If you really want an American assembling the next iPad, there is nothing stopping you from going to China and applying for a job at Foxconn. Hope you don't mind the $1.50 a day pay!

About ten times that for beginners.

 

[VTEChump]

I'm sure this will be a completely candid, objective, and impartial news report. Come on.

 

[coolspot18]

Let's hope they put the Foxconn salaries in context. Living over there does not cost anywhere as much as living here in the US or Europe.

China's cost of living is extremely skewed. In the rural areas, housing and wages are low, and 600 million people fit this category. However, 400 million people live in urban areas which are increasingly becoming more and more expensive - in Shanghai, it is comparable to the United States.

So essentially there are two classes of people in China - rural / urban, or rich/poor... it's not appropriate to apply a blanket statement to say whether a wage is suitable, regional context must be taken into account.

Absolutely false. According to estimates prepared for the NY Times article, the additional cost to assemble an iPhone in the US would be $68 and change. So an iPad wouldn't cost $2,500. It might cost $600, but that's a far cry from $2,500.

$68.00 per unit is still a hefty 25 - 30% increase in costs. I think a base iPhone costs about 250.00 to assemble.

But, will there be enough Americans willing to work in an Apple factory? Manufacturing has been decimated in the United States due to Union posturing and the work ethics of unionized workers.

 

[vrDrew]

According to the video, there are lots of people who have traveled to Foxconn just to get a chance to work at the factory and make $1.50 a day. The pay must be competitive in that part of the world, otherwise the people wouldn't be lining up to work there.

The starting wage at Foxconn was apparently $1.78 an hour, and has recently been increased by about $0.25. The workers can also rent dorm space for about $17 per month. The food in the cafeterias sounds like a good deal: A big bowl of meat, vegetables and rice for 80 cents.

Granted: Getting paid $2 an hour doesn't sound very good to us in the US. But it does allow young people to save up two or three hundred dollars a month. Enough to save up to buy a house, a small car, or a TV. And enough to start them and their families on the road to some sort of decent life. I have nothing but admiration for people willing to make such sacrifices.

I think one very good thing will come out of this: Maybe for the first time American TV viewers will come to appreciate the fact that Chinese workers are human beings just like us. That they have hopes, dreams, and feelings like we do. One comment, in particular, stood out for me:

I pull out my own iPad to show her a few pictures of my kid and America and her eyes light up when she touches the screen to swipe another photo into view. She's never seen a working iPad up close before.

"For all the people in America who buy one of these, what do you want them to know about you?" I ask.

"I want them to know me," she says. "I want them to know we put a lot of effort in this product so when they use this please use it with care."

I cannot help but think about this, and remember the YouTube video of some jackass American kids posted of them smashing a brand new iPad with a baseball bat.

If there is any criticism going around, I think we Americans ought to look a little closer in the mirror.

 

[153098]

Looks interesting, can't wait to watch. The preview alone makes me feel guilty as I type this on my macbook. Less fortunate people grinding away for scraps to serve the fortunate ones who get mad when their wifi is down a couple minutes. <yes, I'm guilty too>

 

[nick_elt]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

This is total BS. The media is making more out of it than what it is. The conditions there are better than most factoriea in china. Also all the major tech companies use foxconn. The threat of mass suicide was on a xbox line but just apple is getting the blame. Typical american bs.

 

[deeddawg]

We aren't talking suicides across the nation, we are talking about 17 suicides in the same COMPANY within a few months who all felt the need to jump out of windows.

GEEZE people wake the **** up!

In response, GET A CLUE. 14 deaths, 18 attempts. In an employee population of 450,000 in the Shenzen complex, 920,000 worldwide.

That's 4 attempts per 100,000 in the 2010 year. 3.1 deaths per 100,000 in the year.

Compare to a 11.8 suicide deaths per 100,000 rate for the United States.

Yes, every suicide is a tragedy. Even one is too many. However at least check your facts and context before going off the deep end and invalidating your whole point by making yourself look like a clueless reactionary.

 

[153098]

why isnt there this same level of scrutiny of america's chicken farms?

chickens don't equal people. That was a terrible and heartless analogy.

 

[PracticalMac]

I wonder where I can get the name of that cute assembly chick.

Perhaps hook me up with a new iPad 3!!


(but she is cute!)