factory
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Factories Echo Recession Pangs

Jan 3, 2009
Following in the footsteps of 2008's dismal economic news, global manufacturing has fallen to low levels unseen for decades. In the U.S., factory activity has dropped to a 28-year low, marking a slump that further adds to the bad economic trends as we enter 2009.

Obama Throws Support to Chicago Sit-In

Dec 8, 2008
President-elect Barack Obama has added his voice to the chorus of encouragement for a group of Chicago workers who are sitting-in at their former factory. Obama said the workers, who have protested their way into the national spotlight, were "absolutely right" and "what's happening to them is reflective of what's happening across this economy."

ICE Raid Arrest Numbers Rise

Aug 27, 2008
ICE raids -- federal officials who bust into rural factory towns to arrest suspected "illegal immigrants" -- continued this week in Laurel, Miss. The town of about 18,000 saw federal officials revise the number of people arrested in the raid to 595. It remained unknown whether the majority of detainees would serve jail time or be immediately deported.

China Factory Made ‘Free Tibet’ Flags

Apr 29, 2008
We ran a cartoon a few days ago that showed a Chinese factory churning out "free Tibet" gear. That imaginary image has since become real. The Chinese government has discovered a factory in Guangdong that mass-produced thousands of "free Tibet" flags, which Chinese authorities fear will soon end up on the streets of Hong Kong as the Olympic torch makes its way there.

Think Damage Control

Aug 18, 2006
An Apple Computer audit of labor conditions at an iPod factory in China uncovered employees working longer hours than permitted by its code of conduct. Auditors also said that workers earned ?at least the local minimum wage? -- whatever that may be in Longhua, China.

Working Conditions in China’s Apple iPod Factory Exposed

Jun 15, 2006
The Mail on Sunday publishes an exposé on the conditions endured by iPod assemblers in China. Says a female worker: "We have to work too hard and I am always tired. It's like being in the army. They make us stand still for hours. If we move, we are punished by being made to stand still for longer." Salon link (reg req'd) Summary of article