TSMC sends more Taiwanese workers to finish Arizona plant

AppleInsider

Apple's processor supplier TSMC says that to ensure a "fast ramp up" of its new Arizona Factory, it is sending more workers from Taiwan for this "critical phase."

TSMC

Even as TSMC objects to conditions imposed by the US -- it effectively has to pay tax twice -- it is continuing to invest in Arizona. The first chip fabrication plant there is due to open in 2024, and now the company says it needs the skilled expertise of more Taiwanese staff.

According to Reuters, the company has announced the move, but not yet said how many workers are involved. It has said that the extra Taiwanese staff will only be in Arizona for a limited time.

"Given we are now in a critical phase handling all of the most advanced and dedicated equipment in a sophisticated facility, we require skilled expertise," the company told Reuters.

TSMC did also say that the new workers are not replacing any of the current 12,000 employees, nor will this change its US recruitment plans.

Previously, TSMC engineers in Taiwan have complained that Americans don't work hard enough, and "are the most difficult to manage."

Read on AppleInsider

foregoneconclusion

Water...water is the problem for fabrication plants in Arizona, not workers. 

ApplePoor

They should have placed this plant near an ocean cost and built a desalt plant for ocean water.

robin huber

Thank god they are moving in the right direction. 

larryjw

JP234 said:

Previously, TSMC engineers in Taiwan have complained that Americans don't work hard enough, and "are the most difficult to manage."

So did anyone else see the documentary film "American Factory?" Same scenario except the company is run by a PRC businessman who buys a closed GM plant in Ohio, and makes auto glass. He hires Americans laid off by GM, saving the town from economic death, but wages are half what they made before they made nothing. He had the same complaints, and add in unionization efforts, when American workers are expected to work extra hours without pay. And of course the bosses are all Chinese and have the same racist tendencies as the Americans who work for them.

But apparently they've reached accord, or at least detente, since Fuyao Glass America is still operating there.

https://fuyaousa.com

The movie was interesting. As regards to racist tendencies I noticed typical management ignorance. The Americans had a much harder time working near the furnaces, That's not laziness but basic physics/biology. The Americans are substantially larger than their Chinese counterparts. Large animals cannot dissipate heat as efficiently as small animals -- elephants have big ears for a reason. The larger American men working near the ovens simply dissipate the heat of the furnaces as well as Chinese workers. 

Wouldn't it be nice, and surprising if managers actually had some basic knowledge? 

waveparticle

larryjw said:

JP234 said:

Previously, TSMC engineers in Taiwan have complained that Americans don't work hard enough, and "are the most difficult to manage."

So did anyone else see the documentary film "American Factory?" Same scenario except the company is run by a PRC businessman who buys a closed GM plant in Ohio, and makes auto glass. He hires Americans laid off by GM, saving the town from economic death, but wages are half what they made before they made nothing. He had the same complaints, and add in unionization efforts, when American workers are expected to work extra hours without pay. And of course the bosses are all Chinese and have the same racist tendencies as the Americans who work for them.

But apparently they've reached accord, or at least detente, since Fuyao Glass America is still operating there.

https://fuyaousa.com

The movie was interesting. As regards to racist tendencies I noticed typical management ignorance. The Americans had a much harder time working near the furnaces, That's not laziness but basic physics/biology. The Americans are substantially larger than their Chinese counterparts. Large animals cannot dissipate heat as efficiently as small animals -- elephants have big ears for a reason. The larger American men working near the ovens simply dissipate the heat of the furnaces as well as Chinese workers. 

Wouldn't it be nice, and surprising if managers actually had some basic knowledge? 

I heard this first time from you. This is basic knowledge? 

NotSoMuch

"Americans don't work hard enough, and are the most difficult to manage." 

So true, lazy and incompetent as well. 

NotSoMuch

JP234 said:

NotSoMuch said:

"Americans don't work hard enough, and are the most difficult to manage." 

So true, lazy and incompetent as well. 

Please supply the empirical evidence you sourced to form this opinion. None of my 54 years' experience in the workplace align with it. Especially the ones spent in the Air Force, and at Apple, Inc.

I do not source opinions, I only use 40+ years practical experience. Have you worked in Asia or Europe so you can compare or did you "source" the opinion?

I have been running factories in China, Taiwan and the in US. The US site was always trouble and difficulty to manage so we actually closed it down and moved to Europe -Germany. Americans spend a lot of time at work, but not as efficient like Asians and Europeans. 

If America is so superior that you indicate, why it American not the worlds production center? 

ApplePoor

Because US corporations want slave wages for the people that actually build the product and millions for the top tier of management that is totally unjustified.

Remember, half this country started by using slaves to do the hard work. That mind set still exists.

dewme

I don't see any comments here that are addressing the gist of this article. TSMC is sending a group of experienced people to help with the plant start-up and system commissioning. This is an entirely normal way of doing business in highly technical environments, especially those involving a hand-off of responsibility from one group to another. I've been on both ends of these types engagements, both helping and training those who will eventually be responsible for operating and maintaining a system that I helped build and being helped by outside experts to gain experience and familiarity with new systems I would be responsible for. Totally normal.

What the heck, when the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales took part in the WW2 Battle of Denmark Strait against the German battleship Bismark there were still civilian technicians on board the Prince of Wales because the new ship's main gun battery was still being debugged by its builders. Their presence made a big difference in the outcome. Likewise, when a pre-commissioned ship that I was assigned to conducted its first at-sea trials it was staffed almost entirely with shipyard workers and civilian contractors, with fewer than 30 Navy crew members on board, myself included, mostly for familiarization, but also to help with things I would eventually be responsible for. Even the eventual ship's captain was not in-charge of the ship's operation during these trials and was not responsible for the ship's operation until the ship was commissioned.

I'm disappointed that the author chose to include a previously discussed derogatory statement by some TSMC engineers. Including that negative material here does little more than poison the well, change the whole tone of the topic, and invite off-topic comments. So why do it?

waveparticle

Some workers act like lazy because they are not keenly aware of what to do.