The Fair Labor Association today announced that Apple will join the FLA as a Participating Company, effective immediately. The FLA will independently assess facilities in Apple’s supply chain and report detailed findings on the FLA website. Apple becomes the first technology company to join the Association as a Participating Company.
FLA Participating Companies agree to uphold the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct throughout their supply chains and commit to the FLA’s Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing. In 2011, the FLA worked with Apple to assess the impact of Apple’s training programs which help raise awareness of labor rights and standards among workers in its supply chain. Like all new affiliates, Apple will align its compliance program with FLA obligations within the next two years.
“We found that Apple takes supplier responsibility seriously and we look forward to their participation in the Fair Labor Association,” said Auret van Heerden, FLA’s President and CEO. “We welcome Apple’s commitment to greater transparency and independent oversight, and we hope its participation will set a new standard for the electronics industry.”
In addition to conducting independent assessments of participating companies’ supplier facilities, FLA works with civil society organizations, universities and companies to develop and improve social responsibility programs and provide training and capacity building at the facility and brand level.
“We’re extremely proud to be the first technology company admitted to the FLA,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations, in the press release. “Last year we performed more than 200 audits at our supplier’s facilities around the world. With the benefit of the FLA’s experience and expertise, we will continue to drive improvements for workers and provide even greater transparency into our supply chain.”
Progress reports and findings from Apple assessments will be published as they become available. For more information, visit www.fairlabor.org.
The FLA combines the efforts of socially responsible companies, civil society organizations and colleges and universities to protect workers’ rights and improve working conditions worldwide by promoting adherence to international labor standards. The FLA conducts independent monitoring and verification to ensure that the FLA’s Workplace Standards are upheld where FLA company products are produced. Through public reporting, the FLA provides consumers with credible information to make responsible buying decisions.
Source: Fair Labor Association
Does this include watching over domestic and international retail operations? Doesn’t seem like it does. IMO, thats where Apple has a lot to improve upon.
All Apple’s skilled employees, enjoy better wages and benefits than most, despite the ungrateful sheltered sissy whiners who say otherwise.
Ask any apple retail employee that thinks they’re wages are low and unfair to go work for another retailer of ANY kind, and have them enjoy their $4-$5/hr pay cut… If not MORE.. You’re waaaaay off base “Seriously?”… My guess is you’re a retail employee who thinks they are highly underpaid… Do some research.. You’ll find things are pretty good in the Apple world of retail..
I am a former Apple retail employee who saw *a lot* of what I call abuse of employees. Retail or not, its not about the money that causes one to go work for Apple. Its a shame that Apple choses to squeeze *every* last drop out of its retail employees, and not compensate them beyond an an additional dollar or two an hour over an entry level position. If you think “things are pretty good in the Apple world of retail”, its because you never worked there.
Two things; first, comparatively, within the retail industry, Apple’s treatment is better than the rest of them. Second, oftentimes, it all comes down to the jerk of a boss that is responsible for each specific retail outfit. Most are fine, some are not.
Fair Labour Association membership should help improve workers’ awareness of their duties and privileges.
We all figured you’re a “Former” Apple employee… Apple never let’s go of the good ones and in fact goes to any length to keep them…
As far as: ” you never worked there” How do you know?
Fro Wikipedia:
“The United Students Against Sweatshops, have stated that the FLA has “… a weak code that fails to provide for women’s rights, a living wage, the full public disclosure of factory locations, or university control over the monitoring process.”WAAKE-UP! was also critical of the Fair Labor Association as much of its funding comes from organizations it monitors, creating a potential conflict of interest.The organization FLA Watch monitors the Fair Labor Association.”
Sounds like a whitewash policy- kind of like a company union.