Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

On August 24, the chip giant TSMC's plant in Phoenix, Arizona, was unable to start production. One reason given by the company was the lack of skilled workers. However, two construction site workers revealed that the real reason was not lack of personnel, but poor operation and management of TSMC.

TSMC said in July that the start time could be delayed by a year until 2025, in part because of the lack of skills and experience of US workers. In order to return to normal, the company is trying to apply for visas for as many as 500 technicians from Taiwan to assist in construction and training. At present, nearly 12000 people work on the site every day.

In response, the Arizona Federation of Plumbing, which represents more than 4000 plumbers, plumbers, welders and heating, ventilation and air conditioning technicians, launched a petition urging U.S. lawmakers to refuse to issue these visas. The FTU said TSMC deliberately belittled the skills of the Arizona workforce and feared that American workers would eventually be replaced.

"they [TSMC] have been saying that we have slowed them down, but they have not given us the information we need," said a plumber who has worked on a construction site in Arizona for nearly a year. "if you give us the right information, most of us can do it."

However, TSMC insists that workers from Taiwan do not pose a threat to US jobs. A spokesman for the company said that at this stage of construction, cooperation between local labor and experienced international staff is "a routine practice to ensure the highest quality of implementation."

TSMC did not specifically respond to questions about site management, but a spokesman said: "TSMC is committed to ensuring that working conditions in its supply chain are safe, that workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that business operations are environmentally sound, responsible and ethical."

"TSMC hopes that you can get as little information as possible and finish the work as soon as possible," however, the foreman said that the construction delay is entirely a management problem.

The problem, he says, is not that American workers don't have the skills to build factories, but that they don't have enough resources to get the job done. He and many others who work on the site say they have had similar jobs at chipmaker Intel in the past, so they know this should not be the case.

"at Intel, they gave me a file that said, 'Hey, this is the device I want you to build," he said. This is the deadline. These are the standards.' You have everything you can think of. TSMC is exactly the opposite. They just said, 'build this.' I have no blueprints, no plans. They basically assume that everyone knows how to get the job done, but I can't read their thoughts. "

He added that, unlike the detailed blueprints he is used to, his work at TSMC is almost entirely done by checking emails and pictures, sometimes with incomprehensible notes.

"TSMC hopes that you will get as little information as possible and finish the work as soon as possible." He said.

Earlier this month, media reported that management challenges, in part because of cultural differences between TSMC and US workers, were one of the reasons for the factory's delay in production. In February this year, TSMC employees also said that American workers were difficult to manage.

The plumber said TSMC and its main contractors had a lot of responsibility for management issues.

"I don't want to stay in these buildings after they are finished," the foremen and welders at the site said, saying they had problems getting the materials needed to get the work done.

"the main problem that prevents American workers or other workers from getting their jobs done is the lack of materials," said one welder. " He added that sometimes he had to wait a few days to get the materials he needed.

"I don't know how they (TSMC) got to this point," the foreman said. It's like the wilderness of the west. Everyone has their own job, they just let you finish it. But there is no coordination. "

Violations of building codes are also common, which has led to a slowdown in construction, he said.

"sometimes we have to redo the work two or three times because they say, 'this is what we do in Taiwan. So we build according to their requirements, but once completed, we will not sign for approval, because it is illegal and violates international building codes."

The plumber said safety violations at construction sites were also common. He said that on one occasion, "something weighing hundreds of kilograms" hung loosely above the workers' heads about 10 meters high, which was a "very serious safety violation."

He added that many Taiwanese workers on the site wear tennis shoes instead of work boots and do not wear safety glasses or gloves.

He said he talked to the company's security representatives after complaining about a safety issue for two weeks. "he told me directly that we [TSMC] were only here to meet the insurance requirements and they wouldn't let us do anything," he recalls. " He was referring to the company's desire to meet basic safety requirements. "I gave up then."

The plumber is not the only one to raise safety concerns. In June, media reported that workers said injuries and safety violations were common on construction sites.

"this is the most unsafe construction site I've ever seen," said Luke Caspar, a representative of the sheet Metal Workers' Labor Union.

TSMC defended its commitment to safety. When asked if there were safety problems at the site, the company said it was regularly audited by known safety standards and conducted internal audits of safety records to compare with state and national data. The company said its "recordable safety accident rate" in Arizona was nearly 80 per cent lower than the national reported figure.

A spokesman for TSMC said: "TSMC attaches great importance to workplace safety in the operation of all facilities and projects in Arizona."

Earlier this month, TSMC signed a workplace safety agreement with Arizona after receiving more than one health and safety complaint over the past year. The two sides agreed to accept higher safety standards than federal standards, including stricter supervision, increased training and security checks.

The foreman said he was concerned that thousands of workers would work there when the factory was completed.

"Semiconductor factories are one of the most dangerous workplaces in the United States because there are a lot of chemicals," he said. in the event of an accident, these chemicals are very dangerous. that's what I'm worried about. I don't want to stay in these buildings after they are finished. "

"We are not against workers from China. We are against TSMC." both the cutters and welders interviewed said that when they entered the construction site every morning, they would encounter delays from queuing up to wearing overalls (known as "rabbit suits") for up to an hour.

"then you put on your protective clothing and find that you don't have your size," the plumber said. then you take off your protective clothing and find that there is no hanger for you, or someone has taken away your hanger. in fact, every step is difficult. "

The welder said: "the parking situation on the construction site is very chaotic, vehicle and traffic management is crazy."

Instead of bringing in more workers from Taiwan, TSMC should solve these other problems, the welder added.

"I have never heard of our lack of skills or what kind of training we will receive from their workers," he said. "

The plumber said he thought the workers might be able to help, but that was not because American workers lacked skills or expertise.

"TSMC says they need skilled workers, but in fact they want workers with lower wages, and their own people come here because they don't need to tell these people anything," he said. they just have to say, 'Hey, this whole row, go build it!' "

He added: "We are not against foreign workers. We are against TSMC. TSMC is the problem."

The two workers said they continued to work because the wages were high enough, but they hoped to find other jobs eventually.

"this is the worst job all of us have ever done in terms of safety and quality," the plumber said. Everyone I know wants to get out of here as soon as possible. "

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