Did NY Times report drive Apple to be extra generous to workers?

Apple just gave its retail employees more reasons to like working for the company, but after a New York Times article June 23 focusing on Apple employees, it begs to be asked whether Apple was just trying to pad itself before the story dropped.

That's because the article, part of the paper's "iEconomy" series, highlights the fact that Apple is able to pay its employees a modest wage without commission or promise of a career. The New York Times says the just-announced wage increases, which are much higher than Apple's last round of raises, came after it first began inquiring for the story four months ago. When it asked Apple about the timing of the raises, it said, the tech giant wouldn't comment.