Thirty-Two #3
buying directly from the miners, which is how they keep the costs so low.”
I frown. “What do you mean, they’re buying directly from the miners?”
“They’re buying from the miners, and the children,” she says, her eyes boring into mine. “The child labor you’re horrified
by? It’s what’s allowing your company to manufacture so inexpensively.”
I shake my head. “I’m sure that can’t be right. Is that what that man told you?”
“Yes. He’s proud of it. They have a team that go to the mine every night to buy directly. Missy, I didn’t know ipryy was involved
in this factory, but there is no doubt that ipryy is profiting from child labor.”
My legs start shaking. I lean back against the counter and clutch it to steady myself.
“Jesus Christ,” I whisper. “Are you sure that’s what he said?”
Nasreen just stares at me.
“Let me talk to Jeff,” I say, although I’m not sure I can talk to anyone right now, my voice is so wobbly.
We walk outside the bathroom, where the men are waiting patiently at the end of the corridor. I place a hand on Jeff’s arm
and ask if I can have a word in private. He cocks his head slightly, before leading me into his office.
His desk is covered with pictures of his wife and three young children. They look happy, and sweet. I pause at his tow-headed
little one grinning on top of an elephant. If what I just heard is true, I am about to ruin their lives. I cannot believe
I have been put in this position, cannot believe I may be about to pull the rug from under his feet, from under the feet of
the hundreds of people in here, but if what Nasreen told me is true, I have no option.
“Jeff, I want you to tell me about the cobalt you’re using in the batteries. Where are you getting it from?”
He nods, and with a smile starts to explain about India’s rich mining history, how the industry represents a significant portion
of the country’s exports, and contributes enormously to the GDP.
“India is one of the fastest-growing sources for cobalt and the government has just announced they are about to heavily invest
in the sector. We’re incredibly lucky to have local mines right here, which offset the expense enormously.”
I nod, as if I am listening in a supportive manner, but I am trying to figure out what to say next.
“Jeff, I know that we’re new to cobalt sourcing, now that we’re building out ipryy home. But I’m wondering why we’re sourcing
it from India.”
I don’t mention that I also know that pretty much everyone sources their cobalt from the Congo, not here. Many of the Congo
mines are also known for egregious human rights violations. But Jeff interrupts me. Dismisses me.
“That has definitely been true in the past, but India is now as competitive with their pricing.”
I name the mine Nasreen and I have just visited. “Is that where you’re sourcing the cobalt from?”
“Absolutely. That’s one of the mines.”
I stare at him. “A mine that uses child labor.”
I see the flicker of understanding in his eyes. “Missy, it’s a different culture here. You can’t judge it through the prism
of American values. Yes, there are younger people working in the mines, but they are helping to support their families, something
that culturally children have been expected to do for years here.”
“I met someone today whose seven-year-old daughter died at the mine when the shaft collapsed. It killed her, and three of her friends.” I take a deep breath.
“Jeff, this is unacceptable. My father would be as horrified as I am.” I feel tears prick behind my eyes, and I try to will them away.
This isn’t a time for emotion. “I’m shutting this factory down. ”
Jeff stares at me, shock written all over his face, his voice rising in panic. “Missy. You can’t.” He gestures to the room
below, to the hundreds of people below us. “You would be putting hundreds of people out of work, not to mention what you would
do to ipryy. It would send the stock prices crashing. Take it from someone who has years of experience.” He smiles then, patronizing
me. “This would be a mistake.”
I think of the liability, of what would happen if the press ever discovered we are buying from a mine that employs children.
I know what my father would do. I know what I need to do.
“I am shutting this factory down,” I say quietly. “And you are fired.”
I turn and walk out of his office and over to Nasreen. “I need to tell whoever is in charge that the factory is closing. I
need to tell him we will pay everyone’s salaries for the next month, and that we have to make some changes before we reopen,
but we expect to do so in the near future. Jeff Linnehan is fired, and we will figure out getting everything cleaned up and
shut down.”
Jeff Linnehan storms out, slamming the door hard, making Nasreen and me both jump. I was wrong. I don’t dislike him, I hate him. But there are more important things to focus on right now. The first being that I need to get back to California as
quickly as possible. We can find alternative sources of ethical cobalt, cobalt that is mined without child labor, but until
we do, this factory is closed.