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Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

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Re: Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

#41

Post by cool_dude85 »

yanderekko wrote: post #35
TigeriusKirk wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The "solution" of just converting them all to FTEs and effectively giving them massive boosts in total compensation is impractical. Why is it impractical?

Because companies reasonably try to avoid throwing away money? I mean, I'm not sure exactly why companies higher CWs as opposed to just lower-paid FTEs. Could be a remedial stopgap to deal with issues in the "normal" hiring pipeline, I'd guess? But the answer to why they don't just throw extra money at people who are already willing to work for you is obvious.

Well, if Google can afford to do it (they can) then it's perfectly practical. They just don't want to, and you're right that the reason is obvious.

Re: Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

#42

Post by comeonseriously »

mraza007 wrote: post #14

Aren’t data center employees crucial as they are making sure your services are running perfectly even in an event of emergency. Why not hire them and pay them better wages

Why do that when you can, instead, return more money to investors?

Re: Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

#43

Post by slt2021 »

almost all high tech software companies hire firms like Modis/Experis/Manpower to do menial labor tasks related to hardware: mostly racking and stacking, responding to hardware incidents, wiring up stuff, etc.

the reason is because every process is very documented and almost any high schooler can follow the steps and replace and wire up server/firewall (power and backbone is all ya need). Configuration is usually done by full time well paid experts (or even done automatically by software)

Re: Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

#44

Post by wombat-man »

cloche wrote: post #26

I know someone who works as a contractor for Google (not through Modis). It's quite odd. They had to go through a lot of Google specified training, they only work for Google, their manager is someone from Google, the computer was supplied from Google, they're doing work that is directed by Google, they receive performance feedback from Google. But at the day, they're officially employed by this vendor company. I just…

Yeah I think it's basically that. If push comes to shove financially you're less safe at modis then at Google. Google has few, if any, layoffs. It's a part of their brand and their value proposition to potential employees.

Plus I don't think the two tiers of benefits thing would go over as well as you think it might. Either you're in and you have their great, expensive benefits, or you're out.

Re: Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

#45

Post by pydry »

yanderekko wrote: post #35
TigeriusKirk wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The "solution" of just converting them all to FTEs and effectively giving them massive boosts in total compensation is impractical. Why is it impractical?

Because companies reasonably try to avoid throwing away money? I mean, I'm not sure exactly why companies higher CWs as opposed to just lower-paid FTEs. Could be a remedial stopgap to deal with issues in the "normal" hiring pipeline, I'd guess? But the answer to why they don't just throw extra money at people who are already willing to work for you is obvious.

"Impractical" and "not throwing away money" are really interesting choices of words when discussing why one of the world's richest companies gives PTO or health insurance.

Re: Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

#47

Post by AlwaysRock »

randomifcpfan wrote: post #20

This is all due to Microsoft contractors (who were treated like regular employees in the 80s and 90s) winning a lawsuit that retroactively forced Microsoft to give them a ton of stock. Companies now have to be rude to contractors to avoid a similar lawsuit. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/13/business/technology-temp-...

> This is all due to Microsoft contractors (who were treated like regular employees in the 80s and 90s) winning a lawsuit that retroactively forced Microsoft to give them a ton of stock.

This is all due to Microsoft who used contractors like regular employees in the 80s and 90s but did not compensate them like regular employees. It's not the workers fault.

Re: Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

#48

Post by dannyw »

taurath wrote: post #23
jasode wrote: post #13

>Contractors love the good pay and engaging work in Google's data centers. They resent that Google and its staffing firm, Modis Engineering, make them quit every two years. >[...] But those two-year contracts are written in stone. Workers like Wait are not usually allowed to apply either to renew their contracts or to do the same job as a Google employee. If they want to keep working in the same job, they have to lea…

The right thing for the company to do would be to hire people as employees, but it appears that worker protections are too strong for them to want to financially. Universal healthcare/dental/paid leave would allow for companies who’s employees currently are the only receivers of these “benefits” to not require companies to hold onto people so long. Worker protections are supposed to be so that catastrophic job loss i…

Some people, like the grandparent or me, don't want to be employees.

Re: Forced unemployment and second-class status: Google's data center contractors

#50

Post by throwaway0a5e »

pessimizer wrote: post #27
throwaway0a5e wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"other actual technical jobs, like electrician," have barriers to entry. Ms Wait would have to break her back schlepping spools around a jobsite for a few years before she could get onto the actual electrician career track. Before they took away the light at the end of the tunnel schlepping batteries around for Google was just as good.

> Ms Wait would have to break her back schlepping spools around a jobsite for a few years before she could get onto the actual electrician career track. Ms Wait would be paid >=$15 to do this.

Maybe she'd get $16, but anywhere where data-center techs are making 15 general construction laborers aren't gonna be making much more and they don't get to work indoors.
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