Apple CEO Tim Cook Calls For Unity in Memo to Staff Following Trump Victory

[asiga]

Please, can somebody tell the current Apple management to leave Apple and create a new political party (and fashion brand too if they wish)? And then, please, any of the people from the old days can redirect Apple towards innovating technology and serious MacOS development? Thanks.

Political dudes, please out of Apple. Mac experts, please back to control within Apple.

 

[mscice]

bring all the jobs back )

 

[kobalap]

Those who believe Trump is going to do anything to materially improve the lives of low and middle income workers are in for a rude awakening. But hey, this isn't anything new. Many gullible, low income Americans have been voting for Republican politicians for a long time.

This is the best part of this election. What many people have coming is self inflicted.
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For all: do the right thing - think global, act local.
Economics is not only a trade like "you give me your money, I will give you a product". If supplying that product involves labor outplacement and/ or tax evasion, the local consumer in the long run will have no money left to buy that product.
So unless Apple changes their flawed business model and corporate citizenship, consumers will flip the switch.

Nothing wrong with Apple's business model. To Apple, global is local.

As a stock holder, my desire is that the leadership of Apple think about how to maximize my profits. It is not my concern whether the product is made here vs there. My concern is that they make business decisions, not patriotic ones.

If the people of the United States want Apple to build products in the U.S., they should vote with their money. Stop buying Apple products not made in the U.S. Stop buying any products not made in the U.S. Having government introduce artificial controls that forces the issue is a short sighted, anti-free market approach to the problem.
[doublepost=1478799612][/doublepost]

bring all the jobs back )

You sound like an 8 year old asking for a unicorn.

 

[Tycho24]

Well, based on what? Your hypothesis of "America sucks"? Because iPhones have never been manufactured here for you to have any data ponts for your position. But it seems just a bit silly to suggest Americans, who build world renowned products like Boeing jets, Ford trucks, Harley motorcycles, among others, don't have the ability to make iPhones.

Nope.
Actually, many can CLEARLY see that it is a matter of population density & infrastructure.
Let me quantify it for you:
Foxconn plants are large. Like, unfathomable in America large. Like- "where are we going to put that??" large.
Because we are not a 3rd world country, usually we keep enormous/ugly buildings in rural locations (see: all of Apple's/FB's data centers, etc.), NOT at the epicenter of our highest urban populated areas.
Ignoring that, for a brief moment & imagining that we found a place for one in the heart of Los Angeles... the population there is 3.8 million. There are 400,000 workers at a Foxconn plant. One in eight of all Los Angeles residents would have to work there.
Hmmmmm.... running into some problems here. One in eight of all LA residents are not all likely suited in temperament, etc. to high volume, low skill production labor jobs. One in eight of all LA residents are likely not even seeking work. As a matter of fact @ 5.3% unemployment, that makes 201,000 individuals. Soooo... they'd be about 40% staffed with mostly unqualified workers if they just hired EVERY unemployed person in LA.
Mind you..., this was the BEST CASE highly unrealistic scenario.
In reality- such a facility would only be approved, out in the sticks somewhere. When done- how to staff it??
In a rural area, it would need literally 100% of the working population of the closest 20 towns!
I hope this is not coming across as "America sucks!"; quite to the contrary- we escaped these horrific industries some 70 years ago, in the industrial revolution.
Nobody (but apparently you?) wants to go back to that.
Lol, is THIS the "make America great again" you guys have been on about??!
China has solved all the "impossibilities" I mentioned....
They have created an infrastructure allowing for huge amounts of men & women to be bussed from far off villages to live onsite. The schedule may be something like six weeks on, two weeks off. So, for two solid weeks out of every two months- mommy, or daddy return home with a HUGE (compared to the local farmers) paycheck to spend time with their family & be revered as bread winners.
That's it. That's how it works.
Sound like something we should try to recreate here??
No. We have evolved beyond that as a nation. We now run service industries & whatnot.
I cannot imagine a lot of people want to get behind turning us into a 3rd world country.

 

[hsotnicam8002]

I didn't vote for Trump but why do I get the feeling had Hillary won Tim Cook wouldn't have sent a letter like this to employees? Maybe people in the Bay Area need to wake up and realize not everyone thinks or votes like them? Or California could always secede and we'll see how it survives on its own. Scotland tried it, why not California?

Go it alone? For starters they need someone else's water, unless Apple can produce a cheap iDistillation system (unlikely ... to be cheap, that is).

 

[bunnicula]

Isn't that better than the government taking money from people who work and giving it to other people so they don't have to work (and don't want to work)?

You know that most of our tax dollars don't ever go to anyone who needs public assistance, right? Wanna get mad? Look at our military budget.
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He forgot to finish it with " except Christians " ... we won't tolerate you at all.

The funny thing is he's probably jumping up-and-down for joy because if trumps tax policies go into place Apple wins YUGE.

15% corporate tax? You'd better believe it.

 

[-BigMac-]

you are wrong, mac pro is us made...

All 15 of them

 

[kobalap]

Mr. Cook, I think you've done a great job as CEO despite all of the hyperbolic naysayers. But, um, you do realize that your super progressive lord and savior Obama has deported more undocumented immigrants than any other president in US history, right?

What's wrong with deporting illegals?
[doublepost=1478800099][/doublepost]

Is that why all the unemployed Republicans are begging Trump to force companies to give them jobs?

Its conceivable that this could happen. The jobs will be at $4/hr or it will force the $30,000 chevy to cost $45,000. Makes no difference to me as long as Trump and the Republicans keep funneling money to my bank account via tax cuts and increased profits for stock holders.

 

[Sonmi451]

This is an example of the kind of empty neoliberal rhetoric that led to Trump getting elected.

A company that touts diversity, yet from an economic standpoint, shuts so many people out.

Dr. King was about racial AND economic justice, a Civil Rights Movement AND a Poor People's Campaign, but Tim Cook and his mealy-mouthed subordinates wouldn't understand that.

Except Trump didn't get elected because they like Trump. They worship celebrity, racism, sexism, guns and religion. Also he didn't win the popular vote because he's not popular. I don't think he's going to do most of the nonsense he campaigned on, and he won't be as bad as people think, but he's not going to do anything for the people who voted for him. They will remain uneducated white rural citizens and probably worse off 5 years from now.

 

[2010mini]

You did not read my post! I never said we was not part of the elite in general, I said he was not part of the political elite, that he was not a racist, sexist, homophobe, bigot, etc. and there is a big difference. He has about everything he could want in life except for what goes into the history books. Now he may yet decide to behave as you wrote, but there is no reason to believe that at this point. However, you believe it because it is what your handlers and the opposition want you to believe.

You need to question some things. For example, it was democrats that had a senior member of the KKK fully supported in the party until he died just a few years ago. It was democrats that had more white than others in leadership positions until obama. It was republicans that fully supported equality during the race riots and passed the resulting laws, not democrats. Lincoln was a republican. Republicans were never the bad guys with regard to race until democrats saw that as a way to win and cover up the their real intent.

You see in Marketing 101 you are taught a few things. For example, find your biggest weakness and charge your competitors with it whether true or not. That way they cannot fight back. Today democrats are the biggest racists. In fact the current administration has promoted more racist policies than in the last 70 years. That is if you truly believe that people should not be judged based on race. It was hillary clinton that ran the smear campaign against bills female companions, totally ignoring that they had rights. It was hillary that left people to die in Benghazi. It was hillary that violated federal laws and risked our national security because she felt the need try to hide her secrets. It was hillary and bill that sold out the worst of the worst in the middle east to get rich. Even if Trump does not live up to expectations, he is still miles ahead of the known evil that exists with the clinton's. People finally stood up and said enough is enough with hillary. Now we have to wait and see if Trump is only moderately better to exponentially better.

Trump was a private citizen and if he had violated any laws anyplace at any time the democratic machine would have eaten him alive. Stop listening to the fear mongering, use some common sense, and look at what is actually happening in the world.

Holy crap you are far gone. Trump has been swimming in the same waters as Clinton for years. Has he held public office? No. But make no mistake he's with them. I say this as a lifetime Newyorker who has watched Trump since 1984. The charade you all have been seeing for the past 4 years is an act. And yes Trump has had bigoted and has been a sexual predator as most other powerful people in his position. Is he a racist? No.

What none of you see is he was smart enough to play on the ignorance and fears of older white working class:

Losing their grip on their entitled status.

He positions himself as the outsider. That is the biggest lie of all. Look who he has surrounded himself with so far: Giuliani and Christie... 2 of the best at what dirty Washington politics has done to the country. So yeah... Trump is "different"

Imma just sit back and watch while you all start crying because you elected a counterfeit.

 

[DoctorTech]

How'd that fundraiser work out Tim? Did it go the way you thought it would? No? Perhaps you should lead Apple, stay out of politics unless it's regarding the governments over reaching attempts to weaken iOS security. If you haven't noticed Tim you recently just got out Appled by Microsoft.

Well said. I am with Apple 100% on their stance regarding iOS security - I applaud Tim Cook standing firm against the over reach by the FBI earlier this year. Beyond that Apple needs to stay out of politics. The voters have spoke and it is time for everyone to get over it and go on with their lives. I have not been happy with our political leadership in Washington since 1988 but I never threatened to leave the country and I certainly didn't join thousands of rioters burning American flags, burning effigies of the president-elect and torching police cars.

 

[kobalap]

Except Trump didn't get elected because they like Trump. They worship celebrity, racism, sexism, guns and religion. Also he didn't win the popular vote because he's not popular. I don't think he's going to do most of the nonsense he campaigned on, and he won't be as bad as people think, but he's not going to do anything for the people who voted for him. They will remain uneducated white rural citizens and probably worse off 5 years from now.

Whatever. He got elected.

Those who voted against their own interest will get exactly what they deserve.

 

[DoctorTech]

you are wrong, mac pro is us made...

When did the Mac Pro become an iDevice?

 

[Precision Gem]

I think in order to manufacture iPhones in the US in the same numbers as in China, you'd need to round up all the unemployed people and move them to one or two central locations. Then you'd need to train them to do the work -- coal miners and steel workers aren't going to have the kind of skill needed to put together iPhones. But assuming they are willing and capable of learning new skills, would they be willing to move?

There are around 8 million unemployed people in the US. I don't you would need that many to assembly iPhones!

 

[kobalap]

Is that why all the unemployed Republicans are begging Trump to force companies to give them jobs?

Quite a few of those are democrats. They think that their jobs moved to Mexico because of corporate tax rates or some other non-sense.

Every democrat who voted for Trump thinking that manufacturing jobs from the 80s are coming back to the US is in for a rude awakening. And by the way, when republicans put legislation that suppresses collected bargaining, all the better.

Uneducated, blue collar, low income types who sent Republicans into congress and the white house are going to get exactly what they deserve.

 

[Precision Gem]

If that overhead is 85% of the final cost then doing the assembly in N. America or Europe can't add all that much to the final cost, can it?

Think of all the fossil fuel saved by not shipping those phone half way around the world! Surely Tim Cook is concerned about the environment isn't he???

 

[DoctorTech]

I didn't vote for Trump but why do I get the feeling had Hillary won Tim Cook wouldn't have sent a letter like this to employees? Maybe people in the Bay Area need to wake up and realize not everyone thinks or votes like them? Or California could always secede and we'll see how it survives on its own. Scotland tried it, why not California?

I find it interesting that most, if not all, riots last night were in blue states. The city of Indianapolis was bright blue in the middle of a red state but there were no riots in Indianapolis last night. It seems so ironic to me that "tolerant" people are physically assaulting Trump supporters, burning police cars and American flags because they are opposed to "hate" and violence.

 

[bunnicula]

There are around 8 million unemployed people in the US. I don't you would need that many to assembly iPhones!

And all of them want to be paid high wages to assemble iPhones. Which will then make it impossible for most of them to AFFORD iPhones.

And, then? They'll be pissed about that.

Come now... what Trump really needs to do is move his tacky clothing line factories back to the US. Surely, with him as president, people will be clamoring for a Trump tie that costs 10x what it used to. Economy saved!

 

[kobalap]

Think of all the fossil fuel saved by not shipping those phone half way around the world! Surely Tim Cook is concerned about the environment isn't he???

I don't want him concerned about global warming. I want him concerned about profits in order to drive value of my stock holdings in Apple.

The electorate decided it does not care about the environment or global warming. Why is anyone even talking about this?

 

[bunnicula]

Think of all the fossil fuel saved by not shipping those phone half way around the world! Surely Tim Cook is concerned about the environment isn't he???

You can fit quite a few iPhones onto a single aircraft. That's a weak argument in favor of spending so much more on labor.

 

[hudson1]

He started his campaign by calling Mexicans rapists and promising to build a wall between US and Mexico. He also proposed benning all Muslims from entering the US. That's not racism and xenophobia?

As for misogyny, I'm not sure he made that a basis for his campaign, but he did insult the looks of a female primary opponent, and the wife of another opponent. He said that a reporter who asked him tough questions must have been in a bad mood because "she was bleeding from her wherever." Not to mention the "grasping p***y" thing.

I'm with you on the personal insults stuff. There was no need for it and it only makes him look bad. That said, there's a big difference between an off-hand personal insult -- and let's remember he's never been a politician -- and actual policy he espouses.

What's racist about a wall? It's just steel, brick, and concrete. You can't find a single history book claiming the Romans were racists for building Hadrian's Wall (though it's probably coming some day). His ban on Muslims was very quickly clarified to be exclusive to countries from where there's currently no possible way to vet a refugee. That's defending the US citizen and I'm fine with that.

 

[Thunderhawks]

I agree with the sentiment, but wishing for something doesn't make it any more realistic to do so. There's no way that Apple can manufacture products like the iPhone in the US. Our country long ago gave up its leadership in manufacturing and we simply don't have the capacity to produce most Apple products at the speeds, volumes, and quality levels Apple gets from companies in China. Even if Apple could magically teleport a Foxcon manufacturing facility to the US, I doubt many Americans would be willing to do that sort of work for that sort of pay. Conversely, if those hypothetical workers were paid decent wages, an iPhone would cost $2000.

I have also tried to encourage the people who cry "produce in America" to get some information.

There are some good sources outlining the issues: (Although one would have to be interested instead of just repeating uneducated jibberish)

The sheer amount of engineers Apple uses is not available in the US.

Many raw materials are all over there.

The labor market could not come up with enough assembly workers and their living quarters
and as you write at their labor rates. Many states are already gradually increasing minimum wages to $ 15.
The federal min wage is a joke.

With some exceptions a lot of American workers would not be applying for these jobs. Every parent wants their child to do something "better" than what they do.

Building large factories requires so much red tape . By the time the US is done with environmental reviews, the Chinese already built four factories. (Not saying that is correct)

Let's also assume the markets get saturated. orders get cut back and lay offs have to happen.

Problem is that tere are not enough job fore every person on this planet and we are overpopulated.

The list goes on and on.

 

[kobalap]

And all of them want to be paid high wages to assemble iPhones. Which will then make it impossible for most of them to AFFORD iPhones.

And, then? They'll be pissed about that.

I got no problems with Americans having low income manufacturing jobs. If manufacturing can be automated using robotics, all the better. That is going to be cheaper than labor. And the facilities can be in the U.S. Everyone wins.

Just keep the prices of the products and services I consume low and I am happy.

 

[AlexH]

How'd that fundraiser work out Tim? Did it go the way you thought it would? No? Perhaps you should lead Apple, stay out of politics unless it's regarding the governments over reaching attempts to weaken iOS security. If you haven't noticed Tim you recently just got out Appled by Microsoft.

Spot on. Apple should focus on making the best products and defending its stance on security. Other than that, I'd prefer my tech companies to be apolitical.

 

[Precision Gem]

He started his campaign by calling Mexicans rapists and promising to build a wall between US and Mexico. He also proposed benning all Muslims from entering the US. That's not racism and xenophobia?

As for misogyny, I'm not sure he made that a basis for his campaign, but he did insult the looks of a female primary opponent, and the wife of another opponent. He said that a reporter who asked him tough questions must have been in a bad mood because "she was bleeding from her wherever." Not to mention the "grasping p***y" thing.

I think what Trump said, when talking about Mexicans who are in the US illegally is that "some of them are rapists". Do you think that is not a true statement? Can you vouch that none of the illegal Mexicans living in the US are not rapist?