Apple Inc. and Slave Labor?

Apple Inc. has reported that some of its suppliers hired underage Asian workers to help build the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh computer last year. In China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Philippines and the U.S. Apple also found cases where suppliers “falsified records” to conceal underage hiring, more than 60 facilities where employees were overworked, 24 partners that paid less than the minimum wage and 57 who didn’t offer all required benefits. The company said, “Apple’s Code sets a maximum of 60 work hours per week and requires at least one day of rest per seven days of work,” Apple also said it asked suppliers to end a practice “where wage deductions were used for disciplinary purposes.” How about instead Apple simply moves its all its manufacturing to the United States of America and employs union labor? Or would that endanger their executive salaries? And, even worse, encourage hundreds of other high-tech manufacturers to do the same?

In Strange News...a Boozy ape was sent to rehab. A Russian chimpanzee has been sent to rehab by zookeepers to cure the smoking and beer-drinking habits he picked up in a zoo. "The beer and cigarettes were ruining him," The Komsomolskaya Pravda paper said,"He would pester passers-by for booze."

Thom's Blog Is On the Move

Hello All

Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.

Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.

From Unequal Protection, 2nd Edition:
"Hartmann combines a remarkable piece of historical research with a brilliant literary style to tell the grand story of corporate corruption and its consequences for society with the force and readability of a great novel."
David C. Korten, author of When Corporations Rule the World and Agenda for A New Economy
From Cracking the Code:
"No one communicates more thoughtfully or effectively on the radio airwaves than Thom Hartmann. He gets inside the arguments and helps people to think them through—to understand how to respond when they’re talking about public issues with coworkers, neighbors, and friends. This book explores some of the key perspectives behind his approach, teaching us not just how to find the facts, but to talk about what they mean in a way that people will hear."
Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"With the ever-growing influence of corporate CEOs and their right-wing allies in all aspects of American life, Hartmann’s work is more relevant than ever. Throughout his career, Hartmann has spoken compellingly about the value of people-centered democracy and the challenges that millions of ordinary Americans face today as a result of a dogma dedicated to putting profit above all else. This collection is a rousing call for Americans to work together and put people first again."
Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO