The San Francisco Chronicle reports that those with a felony conviction who were working on building the exterior of Apple’s new campus were banished from the work site earlier this year. Apple also bans those with a pending felony charge, effectively judging a person as guilty before he or she is convicted.
People with a felony conviction have a difficult time finding employment. Those with a past criminal record often gravitate to construction sites to find a decent, though labor-intensive, job. The majority of construction company owners will hire a person with a felony as long as that person is willing to work hard and stay out of trouble. Such is not the case with DPR, the company contracted to see that the new Apple campus is built.
The Chronicle reported that president of Iron Workers Local Union 377 claims Apple’s ban on people with a felony “makes no sense,” as the work is being done on the outside of the building. The Anders and Anders Foundation which helps people with a prior criminal history find employment told the Chronicle that convicted felons have worked on construction projects such as AT&T Park and were hired by tech companies to work at Facebook and Salesforce.
So why is Apple, a corporation that promotes workers’ rights for just about every human being in the world, in contract with DPR, a company that is slamming the door for employment opportunities in the faces of those deserving a second chance? Will those who work to promote employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated persons and who fight to end recidivism and mass incarceration raise their voices in protest of Apple’s policy?
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