Tesla forced to shut down Fremont factory

[Darknight]

Now, it must shut down its famous Fremont factory, the centerpiece of the electric car maker's global operations. After some confusion, the Alameda County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday the car plant was not "essential," and like most other businesses must shut down under the county's shelter-in-place order which took effect Tuesday.

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The move under the health order, imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus, will send most of the factory's 10,000 workers home.

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"Tesla can maintain minimum basic operations per the Alameda County Health Order," the sheriff's department said on Twitter.

Only essential businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies may stay open, and there is no broad exemption for automakers or other manufacturers in the text of the orders issued Monday, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.

Under the order, businesses deemed nonessential can continue to perform the "minimum necessary activities to maintain the value of the business's inventory, ensure security, process payroll and employee benefits, or for related functions," as well as the "minimum necessary activities to facilitate employees of the business being able to continue to work remotely from their residences."

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CEO Elon Musk told employees in an email Monday night that if they feel even slightly ill that they should not come to work. He said he would be coming to work and downplayed the danger of the virus compared with the panic around it, however, and expressed doubt it will infect a significant number of people in the U.S.

"if we over-allocate medical resources to (the) corona(virus), it will come at expense of treating other illnesses," Musk said on Twitter Monday.

In an email obtained by The Chronicle, Justin Kirkland, a plant manager, wrote to some Tesla employees at the Fremont plant Monday night that they should report to work until they hear otherwise from the company.

Another email sent to a Tesla employee instructs employees who are following the shelter in place order to take paid vacation days for days they do not show up to work and to contact human resources if they run out of those days.

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Tesla’s Fremont factory forced to shut down under shelter-in-place order

The electric car maker will have to cease all but the “minimum necessary...

www.sfchronicle.com

Good. Musk was being stupid about this and has been about his response to the Coronavirus.

 

[Deleted member 8741]

Saw this coming... I really like Tesla potential in a normal society. I still think if we ever get back to normal they have a good chance.

But I sold most of my shares a bit ago (for profit) because of this bullshit. I'll dip back in at some point but it's too much right now.

 

[kmfdmpig]

Good. Musk was being stupid about this and has been about his response to the Coronavirus.

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It's crazy that people can look at what's happening worldwide and think that Coronavirus is not a big deal. It takes incredible arrogance to look at the way the vast majority of health professionals in the world are thinking about it and handling it and assuming that they're all wrong. Ironically, given that it's Musk, it's similar behavior to climate change deniers.

 

[ForgeForsaken]

"or other manufacturers in the text of the orders issued Monday "

I wonder if they are exempting food manufacturers, because they probably should be. Need to restock those grocery shelves if leaving them open.

 

[Titik]

What are the consequences for not following the rules, btw? It seems that a lot of municipalities don't mention this. I'm guessing that they are hoping that's most people will do it out of the kindness of thier heart but you know how that works sometimes.

 

[Darknight]

What are the consequences for not following the rules, btw? It seems that a lot of municipalities don't mention this. I'm guessing that they are hoping that's most people will do it out of the kindness of thier heart but you know how that works sometimes...

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I don't know how it applies to companies but to an individual it's a misdemeanor which can result in a fine and jail time.

 

[Deleted member 8741]

Elon will probably make the security guards build them since they are essentially staff (kidding ... maybe).

 

[HockeyBird]

Bit of a side note, but when the pandemic is over, manufacturers will try to accelerate automation even faster. No need to shut down your factor if no one works there.

 

[Stinkles]

"or other manufacturers in the text of the orders issued Monday "

I wonder if they are exempting food manufacturers, because they probably should be. Need to restock those grocery shelves if leaving them open.

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Those are considered essential for now with some exceptions. In fact as bare as the stores (in WA) have been of canned tomatoes and dry pasta/rice, there's been plenty of fresh dairy. As soon as my neighbors figure out that ground beef is.... beef that is ground, then the current abundance of chuck roast will vanish tho.

 

[dabig2]

It's crazy that people can look at what's happening worldwide and think that Coronavirus is not a big deal. It takes incredible arrogance to look at the way the vast majority of health professionals in the world are thinking about it and handling it and assuming that they're all wrong. Ironically, given that it's Musk, it's similar behavior to climate change deniers.

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It's also a cautionary tale against relying on so-called philanthropists to all act in a beneficial and intelligent manner when we're talking about crucial systems. They're just single humans who all live in a totally different reality than your average. I'm talking brain chemistry altering reality.

So in some libertopian hellscape that sometimes get cautious praise among liberals because they like the oligarch (or "ally" corp since they're also people), millions of lives are at the whims of individuals with little accountability who will never be as affected as the rest of us.

Basically, we can't trade philanthropy for real, tangible, actual life-saving systems like M4A or housing or basic income. When a wealthy person is giving back, they're giving back what was already due, decades ago.

I really hope this pandemic at least forces a change on this side topic alone.

 

[Deleted member 41502]

Its so ironic to me that these companies we hold us as prime examples of helping and bettering mankind are run by such piece of shit human beings who don't care one bit about the humans around them. And no one really cares.

 

[Deleted member 39374]

Bit of a side note, but when the pandemic is over, manufacturers will try to accelerate automation even faster. No need to shut down your factor if no one works there.

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ding ding ding

We just fast tracked the proliferation of WFH and automation ten fold. Thanks, governments!

 

[Titik]

Bit of a side note, but when the pandemic is over, manufacturers will try to accelerate automation even faster. No need to shut down your factor if no one works there.

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but arent computer viruses more common lolz

 

[m_shortpants]

Although I'm generally a fan of him making electric cars mainstream, and a big fan of SpaceX, I just want to say:

Get fucked, Musk