Tesla worker: long hours, low pay and unsafe conditions

originally posted by: jellyrev
I don't understand why Tesla didn't build the factory in a low tax, low costing of living state in flyover country.

Other than that, I want to watch various mental gymnastics that may take place on this topic.

We have:
1. Technocrat Hero Elon Musk
2. Factory workers wanting to unionize: wanting higher wages
3. Low Free Market wages caused by a large amount of immigrants in california depressing wages.

Their giga factory is in Nevada. They do have a factory in Fremont, CA.

a reply to: seasonal

I didn't say bargain with a multi-billion-dollar company. Who in any corporation as that goes directly to the board to bargain, say, their salary, or benefits? No one--you take it up with your direct superior and then move up the chain of command if necessary.

It's not "interesting" that I think that such a thing is good and fair because it's not what I said at all.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

If a person is interviewing for a job at let's say GM. Those wages are set.

If you go into a non union shop, let's say a multi national corp, you are essentially trying to bargain with a huge corp, and don't have a supervisor yet.
And if you do have a job and ask your supervisor for a raise they will tell you that you are in the mid of your pay rate. And this is where the companies want you. Good luck.

Not surprised. Teslas a shady company. I know a few people who got one. None are happy with it. From quality of construction to how they operate. Nice drive train everuthing else is crap on those cars.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: SlapMonkey

If a person is interviewing for a job at let's say GM. Those wages are set.

If you go into a non union shop, let's say a multi national corp, you are essentially trying to bargain with a huge corp, and don't have a supervisor yet.
And if you do have a job and ask your supervisor for a raise they will tell you that you are in the mid of your pay rate. And this is where the companies want you. Good luck.

You clearly have never worked in management at a corporation. As Slap Monkey noted, when you get a job (non-union role), the supervisor will have a salary and job grade in mind and you negotiate what you want. what you want compensation wise either fits into the salary band or it doesn't.

You aren't negotiating against a team of lawyers representing the company.

a reply to: Edumakated

I have dealt with management for 17 years as a skilled trades man.

The company does not set the rates, they take surveys of the surrounding areas and assign that to a pay scale. And the company want you in the middle of that pay scale.

Being in middle management in a large corp simply means you catch crap from below and above.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: Edumakated

I have dealt with management for 17 years as a skilled trades man.

The company does not set the rates, they take surveys of the surrounding areas and assign that to a pay scale. And the company want you in the middle of that pay scale.

Being in middle management in a large corp simply means you catch crap from below and above.

But you are not negotiating against an army of lawyers as you claimed is my point. They are going to pay what they feel is competitive for the position. You are going to negotiate what you want and hopefully get to a salary that both employer and employee can live with.

a reply to: Edumakated

No, I am going to get what they say. If I say the mid point is 28.50, and they say it is 27. who is going to win that? Hint is isn't me.

With a union, those things are taken care of, but with that you get dues and the every popular protecting the bad worker.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Don't forget the HUGE subsidies that Tesla gets.

It's in the billions of $$$$.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

The difference between the union employees in my job (and I've noted this for private sector jobs, too) and me is that I have less protection against getting fired, I'm not forced to pay union dues, I have to advocate on behalf of myself, like an adult should, and my colleagues and I could get fired and replaced for being bad at our jobs.

I am in the building trades unions. Sheet metal workers local 7, 28 years. We can and will be let go for being bad at our jobs. We can be laid off if the boss is having a bad day.

Too many people think all unions are the same.

a reply to: tinner07

My short experience with the Teamsters is that there is black and white rules. No exceptions. You screw up your written up.

My time to be cynical... couple of points to make about this. Detroit is the benchmark for autoworker salaries. Things got so bad n the 80's with the unions against management that car manufacturing eventually went out of the country. And that was after quality got so bad in US plants that domestic car makers had the worst reputation compared to imports. Now, you have an employer like Tesla which is all about finesse and the workforce is unhappy. So what's going to happen? Tesla will move manufacturing to Mexico before its over with and hopefully before the unions come and screw up the quality of work.

On the other hand, President Trump is urging manufacturers to bring the jobs back to the USA. Meaning, our workers are going to complain again that they're under paid and overworked. Thy'll get pissed off if they don't get what they want and lower their quality standards.

Clearly, only one solution to this. Bring the jobs back and hire illegal immigrants because some Americans don't really want to work anyway.

a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

People are complaining because the US worker hasn't had a raise in 35+ years. It is all going to the top.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: Edumakated

According to the story they are going to pay less than average for the skill set.

This maybe why the United Auto workers are entering the equation.

On the flip side, Tesla hasn't been around that long. How long does it take to hit peak income (10 years?) and how does their average employee length of stay compare to the competition? Lots of lifers in jobs like this, probably too general a comparison

i dont see the problem. dude can move. can work somewhere else..

i have actually been giving some thought about moving to the bay area and trying to work for tesla. they are hiring for lots of skilled positions.

then i started researching housing and say apartments going for 2300 a month.
nope

a reply to: TinySickTears

The problem I see is Tesla has their factory in the wrong location. If will be difficult for anyone to live close to the factory.
Everyone can say move, but the problem isn't the people, it's the location. No one can afford to work there.

a reply to: seasonal

Oh wow!

Seems like these workers could benefit from a living wage, eh?

Sucks to be them, with a right wing government in place, that will never happen. Because right wing governments have a tendency to make things harder for working people, not easier, while fluffing the pockets of the already wealthy, no one is going to be looking out for these workers, other than the workers themselves.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Got news for you, the last 35 years the political leanings have gone from L to R many times. And they both have showed exactly how little of a crap they give, after the balloons fall and the confetti is swept up after elections.

Have you swallowed the hook?

It's them against us?

The liberal left isn't the answer, just like the conserv right is also not the answer. Somewhere in the middle is where we need to land.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: TrueBrit

Got news for you, the last 35 years the political leanings have gone from L to R many times. And they both have showed exactly how little of a crap they give, after the balloons fall and the confetti is swept up after elections.

Have you swallowed the hook?

It's them against us?

The liberal left isn't the answer, just like the conserv right is also not the answer. Somewhere in the middle is where we need to land.

Agreed
Neither Party represents the working class.
They only represent their donors


Under Capitalism, labor is allowed bargaining power and the only ones that have power at the government level is big business

a reply to: jacobe001

Truer words I have never heard.

If the "worker" wants to be represented, they need to band together. The businesses do. They take surveys of what each other pay their "help" and then pay the same.