Apple Fires Felons From Construction Crew In Cupertino
CUPERTINO (CBS SF) -- Apple has fired several workers with felony convictions from its construction crew at the Cupertino campus.
DPR, the company overseeing the project, abruptly ordered the workers off the Apple Campus 2 construction site in January.
Iron Workers Local Union 377 told the San Francisco Chronicle DPR justified their actions saying workers with felony convictions do "not meet owner standards."
The union has written letters to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Attorney General Kamala Harris on behalf of the fired workers, but have not received a response.
Union president Michael Theriaut said he was baffled by the ban because the employees are not dealing with the tech giant's proprietary information.
"Our folks put the wire in the reinforcing bar (of the building). It makes no sense to me," Theriaut told the Chronicle.
It is rare that construction workers are subjected to background checks. They are mandatory in some states if the construction site is at a school.
One man who was fired last January told the Chronicle he was charged with a felony in 2008 after a fight. When Apple let him go, he went from earning as much as $1500 a week, to drawing an unemployment check for $450.
"It's not fair for people's pasts to come back ... and not be able to support their family and stay out of trouble," Yip said.
