With all of this conversation about Tesla and automotive workers' safety, I can tell that none of you have a close relationship to someone who works in one of these factories, much less ever stepped foot in any of them.

Because y'all are saying some ridiculous sh!t.

/

I am the kid of a truck factory worker, and have had countless family members working on the line in automotive factories for the big three. And I've walked the floors myself.

So needless to say, this isn't unfamiliar to me.

And there are some things being said about auto workers going back to the floor that are just... obnoxious.

I want to talk about them. Because the public pressure being put on the UAW, on state governments, et al is completely misguided.

(1) THEY CAN PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING. WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

...excuse me, what? Have you ever been in a factory? (Rhetorical question. You clearly have not.)

You cannot socially/physically distance in an automotive factory.

For one, some of the jobs involve multiple people working together. This also assumes that the ratio of necessary workers to floor space can accommodate this level of distancing at all times, in every single part of the factory.

That is wildly unreasonable.

Beyond that, the six-foot recommendation applies to when people are doing a NORMAL, non-strenuous level of activity.

Manual labor is NOT a relaxed job?? And when strenuous activity is happening in a contained space + virus lingers in the air = spread happens much more easily.

(2) GIVE THEM MASKS! THEY'LL BE FINE!

First of all, masks are not a guarantee that the virus won't spread and that people won't become ill. Particularly if they aren't regularly being replaced (they don't last forever, esp when you are engaging in intense labor all day).

Once the mask is on, it shouldn't be touched.

But if you're doing manual labor, sweating and operating heavy/large equipment at a quick pace, it is damn near impossible to keep a mask from slipping/not needing adjustment.

Which means folks will touch their faces repeatedly.

Yes, there is talk of some companies providing SOME workers with face shields.

Do you not follow the issue here? We're talking about factory work. Strenuous physical activity, in an already over-heated setting...

That surely won't fog up or cause workers to pass out. Never!

And that's assuming that the masks and/or shields are even effective in protecting folks in the first place. There is still a lot of debate about how effective masks are at preventing illness and how much they actually reduce spread.

That's also assuming that breath particles are the only way the virus is spread.

Did you forget the SHARED TOOLS AND SHARED EQUIPMENT?

(Again, rhetorical. You didn't forget because you probably didn't think about it.)

Even if you proposed sanitizing after each tool or piece of equipment is used... the likelihood of doing so is extremely low.

The line is not going to slow down just because you need to sanitize it. Factory lines move FAST. And supervisors know if you're keeping up.

And that precludes other shared spaces: bathrooms, lunch rooms, lockers, medical offices. All would need to be regularly sanitized.

(3) OKAY, JUST SCREEN THEM BEFORE THEY GO INTO WORK!

Sure. Screen them. How, exactly? Many folks will be asymptomatic but still be carriers that can infect others. There is a testing shortage STILL.

Taking their temperature for peace of mind is utterly meaningless in reality.

And quite frankly, many folks will not necessarily register that they ARE symptomatic. Factory jobs are hard on your body and mind.

Fatigue, muscle aches, headaches... these aren't novel experiences for folks who do manual labor.

(4) FINE. BUT SOME RISK IS INVOLVED NO MATTER WHAT! WHY CAN'T WE JUST—

Some risk. But not equal risk.

Manual labor increases the likelihood of chronic conditions... that then leave folks vulnerable to more serious forms of COVID-19.

Many of these folks are older, too.

I have not known a single autoworker who hasn't had some kind of chronic health condition.

And some of these folks are particularly vulnerable to *respiratory illnesses.* Just like COVID-19! You know why?

Asbestos exposure.

Nearly every automotive worker who's been on the line for a while has had varying levels of exposure to asbestos, as it was used in the PARTS of vehicles (parts that many workers would cut into, sand down, etc) and in some cases, the factories themselves, for literal decades.

Not to mention, chronic stress can already weaken your immune system. So assuming you were a worker who was never exposed to asbestos, and doesn't (by some miracle) have a diagnosable chronic condition, you are STILL more vulnerable than the general population.

So yes, you can claim that everyone is taking a risk when they return to work or go to the grocery store or whatever.

But you need to think about who is taking on a greater risk, both because of the nature of their work, the environment, and the impact on their bodies.

(5) THEY CHOSE TO DO THIS JOB! THEY COULD DO SOMETHING ELSE!

No.

First of all, many are supporting families and they're staying because they're trying to get their pensions and keep their insurance.

A pension dangling over your head for a decade or more is a big deal.

Second of all, many of these workers have a specific skillset that is relevant to the job they've held — and those skills aren't necessarily transferrable, much less to a safer job.

And many do not have college degrees. They didn't need them at the time.

And who the hell is hiring in the first place? Have you seen the unemployment rate recently? Yeesh.

(6) OKAY. SO MAKE IT VOLUNTARY! THEN THEY CAN DECIDE IF THE RISK IS WORTH IT!

That sounds nice in theory.

That ignores workplace politics.

Many automotive factories determine your shift (nights, days, afternoons) and your ability to move to a different position based on seniority and attendance.

This puts enormous pressure on workers to show up, even when they're sick, and even when it's voluntary.

Many workers will want to move positions at some point, and most do not want to work afternoons or nights. It is very grueling to do the same exact task repeatedly, day after day, for *years* . . . much less during a shift when you won't see your family.

My dad worked "afternoons" for a long time (misleading name for the shift, it is essentially the first half of the night shift). And that meant that for years, I really only saw him on the weekends.

Otherwise, during my waking hours, he was at work or sleeping.

Your ability to *survive* manual labor, especially in a factory, depends so much on your ability to gain the favor of supervisors and willingness to go above and beyond. It is a system built on self-sacrifice.

It's awful.

So sure, "volunteer-only." But I can tell you that a lot of people who don't feel safe going to work — and many who are sick — will do so only because they're fearful of the "invisible" repercussions for not showing up.

(7) OKAY, WE GET IT. IT'S A SUCKY JOB. BUT PLENTY OF PEOPLE HAVE TERRIBLE JOBS. WE ALL HAVE TO GO BACK BEFORE THE ECONOMY COLLAPSES!

That's interesting. That the burden of our economic system, and its survival, is placed on the working class.

That's really interesting.

It's interesting that we're willing to throw factory workers under the bus to sustain a system that allows CEOs to accumulate massive amounts of wealth at their expense.

It's interesting that we ask those same workers to be willing to die for them.

Most economists and scientists *agree* that there are serious repercussions if we reopen too quickly and too soon.

Any claims that the economy is better off if we reopen sooner is a political tactic to save face (and to satisfy rich, selfish executives like Elon Musk).

(8) OKAY, HOW BAD COULD IT POSSIBLY BE?

Worse than the first wave, for one.

And did it escape your attention that Michigan had one of the worst waves to begin with?

Do you know where the big three are based?

Yes. In Michigan. And more specifically, Detroit. Metro Detroit (which is largely employed by the auto industry) was the region hit hardest by COVID-19. Their hospital systems were unable to accommodate all of the admissions, which is reflected in the horrifying mortality rate.

(9) BUT HOW MANY WORKERS DIED, REALLY? IT CAN'T BE THAT MANY.

The scary thing is, we don't know. We can't know because testing and contact tracing was not happening at the rate in which it needed to, especially in Michigan. Not anywhere near it.

The UAW is right to point out that until we have more information about how COVID-19 has spread, particularly in manufacturing plants, it is NOT safe to send workers back.

How can you design safety protocols for each branch of the plant if it's unclear which workers were sick?

If certain roles in a plant tend to have higher rates of transmission or a higher frequency of outbreaks, we would want them to have more protective gear specific to their roles.

But we have no idea. We don't have the data, at all.

(10) SAM, THIS IS ABOUT TESLA, IN CALIFORNIA... NOT MICHIGAN.

Right. In California. Which mandated shutdowns much earlier on, which likely saved the lives of countless workers.

In California, where Tesla workers were already protesting conditions long before this.

And might I add, since when is producing VEHICLES an essential business right now?

Automotive sales are down because many people have lost their jobs (and thus can't afford major purchases) and are driving less because they are sheltering in place.

You should be angry at dudes like Musk who would throw factory workers under the bus just to make money they don't need.

You should be angry at politicians in this country who, unlike other nations, can't provide a guaranteed income during a time when it's VITAL.

Y'all love to talk about how great this nation is. And yet corporations and CEOs with BILLIONS OF DOLLARS are clutching their purses while laying off workers instead of taking salary cuts.

And your government wants to bail THEM out while sending workers back to risk their lives.

There is a massive amount of wealth in this country and it's corporate greed and incompetent leadership that leads to people suffering en masse — UNNECESSARILY — while other ""lesser"" nations freeze rent, provide universal income and health care, and protect the majority.

This is about much more than the economy reopening, or even the pandemic. This is about a political and economic system that is FAILING people, and was set up to fail so that a powerful few could accumulate more wealth and power than the rest of us could ever dream of.

I've watched people that I love end up trapped in the most grueling work you can imagine for decades, only to secure a pension and health care for their families... just so they could die an early death from health complications from those *same* grueling, dangerous jobs.

Wake the hell up. If the system can't keep working people safe from a freaking global pandemic, it's broken. If it's allowing powerful men like Elon Musk to get paid just to throw temper tantrums at the expense of HUMAN LIVES?

It's the system that needs to change.

Working people, many of whom are also the most marginalized in our society, are the backbone of this country.

Don't let selfish bullies like Elon Musk break the spine of this country just to sit on a pile of unearned wealth.

Give a fuck about workers. Musk won't — but we can.

And before people reply to politicize my thread in some obnoxious way, here's the truth:

It was political from the moment I, as a child, had to grow up watching my dad fall apart, body and soul, working on the line.

This one's personal.