Factories in China.

The positives - Many of the factories that we visited were open and brightly lit environments.  Most workers had uniforms, and the factories were clean and organized. 

In the larger factories, workers were provided with meals and housing (dormitory style).  This greatly increased the amount of money they could save.  Although one factory owner lamented to me that he didn't understand this "new generation".  In his day, they were able to save 70% of their earnings.  This younger generation is only able to save 30%!!    (I didn't have the heart to tell him in the US it's often a negative number.)

The negatives - The employees might make $1,500/year.  But this is three times what they made in their small rural communities. 
Factory jobs can be incredibly tedious. 


Here is a line of workers making small lapel pins, including American flags.  To make a colored pin or button requires the actual "painting" of the various colors onto the pin.  They've not found a way to automate the process.  As a result, each color has to be hand-painted onto the surface of the pin.  This is but one of many lines of workers painting  a range of lapel pins and medals.  

We did a rough estimate that an individual pin was touched by no less than 35 different indviduals in it's manufacture.  This is likely not a task that can be returned to US shores.  

 

And here's a factory making Head Tennis Covers and assorted other bags and backpacks.  Business is off by as much as 50%. 
The company is trying to hang on, but it's challenging.  

As mentioned previosly, many factories are owned by Taiwan business people, but leased from the Chinese government.  While the Communist Chinese view Taiwan as a break-away republic (and won't recognize their independane), they have a good working relationship with the Taiwan business community.  In just the last few months, matters had become so desparate for one Taiwan owner, that he simply shut the doors to his many factories.  Overnight, 50,000 employees were without jobs.

In total, Taiwan owners employ nearly 50 million Chinese in the factories that they run.  Like many international issues, having economies that are economically dependant on each other, starts to minimize other matters of dispute.