resident Biden has long touted his CHIPS Act as being a “masterpiece” that would give the economy and the working class a much needed boost. But, unfortunately, we are finding that it ultimately isn’t doing enough to help workers; on the contrary, in some ways it is actually hurting Labor rather than helping it. In fact, this is something Sen. Bernie Sanders was concerned about when the bill was being voted on, and he even “sided” with Republicans against the bill, despite not being joined by any of his usual “team mates” in his opposition.
To discuss how the CHIPS Act isn’t doing enough for Labor, journalist Lee Harris joined The Valley Labor Report last week. Harris is a staff writer over at The American Prospect, and the co-founder of New York Focus, and has been following the effects of the CHIPS Act, and in particular reporting on a new facility that’s being built in Arizona by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company as part of Biden’s bill.
Based on what Harris observed… the construction has been a mess, between workplace safety shortcuts and inexperienced non-union workers.
“From speaking to workers, some of whom didn’t want to be identified, they are relying on pretty much anyone they can get at this point, because it’s just an enormous project; but that includes a bunch of non-union subcontractors,” Harris explained during the interview. “And for that reason, there have been a number of really ugly injuries, safety shortcuts, and then mistakes that have just slowed down the project.”
According to Harris, the aforementioned injuries included an accident involving a worker whose thigh was severely injured “down to the bone” by a grinder, and another worker whose femur was broken when a crane dropped a large piece of carbon steel. And then as far as safety shortcuts, workers were almost crushed to death by falling equipment due to safety protocols being ignored. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Watch the full discussion with Lee Harris on YouTube: