US workers say Taiwan contractors should get out of TSMC’s Arizona job site
US workers say Taiwan contractors should get out of TSMC’s Arizona job site
2023-08-30
Troubles are piling up at TSMC’s Arizona construction site. British newspaper The Guardian reports chaos on the ground, with multiple contractors working in the same areas without central coordination. One local worker pointed to safety issues, saying, "they need to get those Taiwan contractors out of there because they are not used to building in America at all." In response, TSMC said its Taiwan contractors were familiar with the equipment being installed, and would continue to partner with locals on the project.
TSMC is pushing to build two new fabs in the U.S., aiming to start production by 2025. But its setbacks keep making headlines. A week ago it released a rare recruitment video, calling for 2,000 local workers to take managerial roles. U.K.-based news outlet The Guardian reports that it’s chaos in Arizona.
In large red letters, the headline reads: They would not listen to us. The Arizona project is struggling, according to the piece. American workers said that when they disagreed with TSMC management, they were threatened with the loss of their jobs. Workers said there were multiple contractors working in the same sites, “all of them saying different things” amid the absence of coordination.
Nobunaga Chai
Tech analyst
What U.S. labor unions are most concerned about is people taking away their jobs. But in reality, the Taiwanese workers brought here by TSMC are not taking away their jobs, but making their jobs easier. Actually I feel that much of the reporting has been exaggerated.
The analyst says TSMC brought in Taiwanese workers to smooth out the project. But according to an American cited by The Guardian, the project was in great disarray, with workers having to “put stuff up” and “tear it down” five or six times, racking up costs five to six times the original quote. Americans also pointed to safety issues on the large job site, calling for processes to be less rushed. “I think they need to get those Taiwan contractors out of there,” one said. A Taipei-based analyst says that Arizona’s government should step in and mediate.
Arisa Liu
TIER economist
Arizona’s local government really needs to negotiate with the labor unions. After all, TSMC’s facility in Arizona is a flagship project of the U.S. CHIPS Act. There needs to be a comprehensive semiconductor supply chain in the local area. That’s the only way to truly achieve revitalization.
TSMC has responded, saying that it’s common industry practice to have overseas experts support a project. It said the Taiwanese specialists had a deep familiarity with the equipment being installed, and would continue to partner with locals at the job site. In the meantime, questions will continue to hang over TSMC’s 2025 production deadline, as its project sits under global scrutiny.
美廠工人喊"台承包商離開" 台積電:繼續與在地合作
2023-08-30
台積電赴美設廠，英國衛報訪問當地工人，他們憤怒指出，現在組織是混亂的，還有安全疑慮，怒斥"台灣承包商應該離開"，甚至還說只要不服管理層就被威脅要把工作轉給別人，不過專家分析，台積電是為了讓工程更順利，甚至台灣過去的工人是要指導當地技術人員，而台積電也回應，台灣承包商對設備很熟悉，將繼續和在地人合作。
台積電赴美蓋兩座晶圓廠，力拼2025年量產，卻頻頻登上外國媒體。一星期前，台積電罕見發布影片招募2000名在地工人擔任主管等職位，但英國衛報報導，有在地工人指出，現場管理混亂。
斗大標題，寫著"他們不聽我們的"，亞利桑那州陷入困境，美國工人爆料，如果不聽管理層，就會被威脅，要把工作給別人，更進一步指出，同一個小區有多個承包商，都說不一樣的話，沒有協調過。
[[光電協進會特約研究顧問 柴煥欣]]
“美國工會也最介意的就是說，你們不可以搶走我們的工作，但實際上其實台積電請這些台灣過來的工人，不是搶他們的工作，而是讓工作能夠更順利。其實我也覺得很多部分是有過分誇大。”
產業專家分析，台積電是為了要讓工程更順利，但根據衛報報導，當地工人指出，當你必須要把東西裝起來拆下來，至少5到6次，花費是報價的5到6倍，他們認為工地那麼大，必須要安全，所以一切要放慢速度，更怒斥台灣承包商必須離開，台灣的專家也認為，當地政府有必要居中協商。
[[台經院產經資料庫總監 劉佩真]]
“亞利桑那州地方政府的部分，確實有必要能夠對於工會，能夠進行協商的工作，那我想畢竟因為在台積電，在美國亞利桑那州的一個設廠，其實對於美國晶片法案，是具有相當指標性的一個意義，在當地能夠建立完整的半導體供應鏈，才能夠真正的帶來相對的挹注的效果。”
台積電回應，半導體常常從海外派出專家到場，就是要協助完成作業，專家對於設備很熟悉，也將會和在地繼續合作。2025年是否能如期量產，台積電的建廠過程也成為全球焦點。
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