January 2001 ISSUE

Life on the Line in Silicon Valley

As I sit here in front of this flossy iMac, I can now marvel at its construction. I don't mean how many megabytes of memory it can store, or how quickly it can download from the web -- I mean how it was physically put together. I think about all the hundreds of unknown hands that must have touched this computer before it was placed on this desk. I think of all the little tasks that took place to make it work that will go completely unrecognized by its users. It isn't Steve Jobs who stuffs the formatter inside the keyboard, and it isn't Bill Gates who puts the final screws on the printed circuit board as it lies lifeless on a conveyer belt.

So who does? Manufacturing and assembly workers -- many of whom are in their early 20's -- are the ones who keep Silicon Valley humming. They earn above minimum wage, but well below the estimated cost of living in the Valley. They have no benefits, job security or formal training.

Most of them were told that all you have to do is get into a high tech company and your future would be set. They found out something different once they got in. They crossed the so-called "digital divide," only to discover that they were entering the heart of it. These are some of their stories

-- Raj Jayadev, Editor

2)Blood Sucking Machines
-- Edward Nieto

3)No Such Thing as Trust in Silicon Valley
-- Julio Ramirez