I wonder what Siri would say about those workers' health
Recent reports about labor conditions in the overseas factories where Apple products are made would suggest that the iPhone's know-it-all voice-recognition helpmate would respond with scared silence or outrage and frustration.
Until about 10 years ago, most Apple products were "made in the U.S.A." but by 2004 the company shifted most of its production overseas, primarily to China and other Asian nations. The reason for this, the article claims, isn't simply the cheaper labor costs in Asia. It is the manufacturer's ability to more quickly scale production up and down as needed, as well as having better supply chains for the many components that go into each Apple product.
Apple is a global company, employing 43,000 men and women in the United States and 20,000 overseas. An additional 700,000, most of them outside of the U.S., work for Apple's contractors at all stages of development, including product assembly.
These shifts, driven by the bottom line and, of course, by our society's desire to have more and better technology at an affordable price, come at a human cost that is now receiving greater attention in the West.
Because of China's politics, it is unlikely that rapid change will come unless companies and governments who do business in China exert their significant pressure. Apple's membership in the Fair Labor Association is an important first step; hopefully, other hi-tech companies who use overseas suppliers and manufacturers will quickly follow suit. If the demand for social justice in occupational health and safety were as great as our demand for a new iPhone or other tech gadget, we'd live in a much safer and healthier world.
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