Recent stories in The New York Times have been critical of the offshore manufacturing processes of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and other US companies. Apple is the poster child, though, because it is both highly visible and highly regarded for its products and its profits.
In a letter to employees that he surely knew would be made public, Apple CEO Tim Cook pushed back:
We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain. Any accident is deeply troubling, and any issue with working conditions is cause for concern. Any suggestion that we don’t care is patently false and offensive to us.
The company recently released a list of its suppliers and its first report on supplier audits, in response to concerns about worker treatment at its Chinese assembly plants. The company has promised to increase its enforcement efforts. Here’s Cook again:
We will continue to dig deeper, and we will undoubtedly find more issues. What we will not do — and never have done — is stand still or turn a blind eye to problems in our supply chain. On this you have my word.
Apple’s shares are up slightly today at $445.87.
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