Cafeteria workers at Facebook struggle to make ends meet

Post by MarkPNeyer » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 7:22 PM UTC

derekdahmer wrote: post #275

danso wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for mentioning this example. Every time I see complaints of how FB (or any big company) should not be using contractors, I'm at a loss to think of companies that employ this kind of support staff. I think most of the companies I've worked have generally outsourced cafeteria and janitorial work, albeit these companies were in much more affordable metros.

It's a lost opportunity that companies who view themselves as socially progressive and invest heavily in marketing and PR around inclusivity then continue inadvertently maintaining an internal class system of knowledge vs service workers.

Post by JeremyBanks » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 7:22 PM UTC

eitally wrote: post #318

derekdahmer wrote: post #195

> A spokeswoman for Facebook said none of the company’s contingent or contract workers have access to facilities such as clinics, gyms, or bring-your-child-to-work days One thing I liked about AirBnB was their entire staff including cafeteria workers and security guards were full-time employees who ate the same food, had access to the same facilities and events, and went through the first week 'bootcamp' alongside de…

I don't know if this was a special circumstance, but I shared a table with a security guard during my noogler orientation. That made a similar impact on me (and we stay in touch even now, actually). But, at Google, there is also a strong differentiation between full time employees and everybody else (temps, vendors, contractors), with clear and consistently impressed rules about what non-FTEs are allowed to see and d…

Post by Consultant32452 » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 7:23 PM UTC

maxerickson wrote: post #267

Consultant32452 wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't make a misstatement. Both cases have the same problem. The government has stepped in and made it more difficult for you to enter the market. In one case, you have to pay an electrician to take a class because the government won't let you learn for free. In the other case the government has made it even worse because you now have to perform labor at sub-market wages for 4 years before you're allowed to do wor…

There's a difference between the requirements for licensing being excessive and "massive debt".

Post by humanrebar » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 7:27 PM UTC

kafkaesq wrote: post #317

humanrebar wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as we don't confuse what we have right now (corrupt cronyism, corporatism, blatant vertical monopolies, blatant government-backed monopsonies, etc.) with an actual free market.

Yep, it's best not to confuse reality with pipe dreams, generally.

Post by kafkaesq » Mon, Jul 24, 2017, 7:27 PM UTC

tyingq wrote: post #314

kafkaesq wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are excluded from events because they are working not for Facebook, but a food service company that contracts for Facebook. This may be technically true, but ultimately it's just window dressing. And for FB (and many other companies that play the same game with its more expendable workers), a convenient dodge in terms of both expenses and liabilities. If you show up at Facebook's building every morning, work in…

>Let's please not try to compare the "plight" of contract tech workers I don't personally see a difference other than the average wage for what I do. Companies contract other companies for many things. Janitorial, security guards, software work, etc. They shouldn't be involved in the salary of some other company's workers. If there's a wage issue in this case, it's not Facebook's issue to sort it out.