Apple launched its newest product, the iPad3, today and the Apple store on Fifth Avenue was packed to the brim with Apple consumers hungry to get their hands on the new and improved tablet. Some people braved the cold and rain early this morning only to end up in the back of what was an already packed line.
There has been plenty of excitement, and uneasiness surrounding today's product launch. Recently, Apple has been criticized for its lack of action in response to the many reports of hazardous and unfair labor practices within Apple-affiliated factories in China. The Foxconn factories there have been under tight investigation over the past few months and Apple has been inviting journalists to tour factories to show improvements. Although one Apple supplier, Foxconn, has since raised wages up to 25% for some workers and there are questions about some anecdotes of horror inside the factory, there are doubts that the problems of underage workers in harsh conditions have been eliminated.
So while many customers waited in line to go into the subterranean store, greeted by applauding Apple employees decked out in Apple-insignia blue polos and getting hand outs of Peanut Chews candy (they have a new app apparently), others like Charlene Carruthers of Harlem took to the sidewalk. She was one of the few demonstrators with Change.org outside the iPad 3 rollout. Charlene, a proud Apple user herself, told us "the next step for Apple is to build guidelines for a safe work environment at their overseas factories." She also told us, "Apple is a trendsetter. If there is anyone with the power to make a positive change, it's Apple."
Others such as Sergio Miranda, editor of Mac Plus Magazine in Brazil, told us to remember not to place all the blame squarely on Apple, "Foxconn not only supplies Apple, but also Hewlett-Packard and Sony. Apple happens to be the biggest company of them." He did agree however that Apple, as a "trendsetter", needs to perform further investigations at their factories. "Apple should keep an eye on them. The same values Apple extends to its employees should also be extended to the Foxconn employees."
According to Change.org's press release, "In February...petition signers delivered 250,000 petition signatures to six Apple stores around the world. Shortly after, Apple announced the results of their factory investigations would be transparent, and Chinese factory Foxconn raised wages for workers. Now [petition starter] Mark [Shields], along with other concerned Apple users, are calling on Apple to take the next step and release a product release plan to address abuses that happen frequently during new product launches." And if anyone has the cash to implement better safety protocols it should be the company with more of it than the U.S. Government.
