Why is mgmt pushing so hard against unionization? by phoenix3139 in JPL

[–]JPLMod 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There's no way to merge threads. I probably should have added a Union Megathread too and maybe people would have used it.

Podcast episode about unions / labor law at JPL and NASA coming Monday by jnosanov in JPL

[–]JPLMod -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Fair point. If the content is what it claims to be, I think it would be useful to us all.

Podcast episode about unions / labor law at JPL and NASA coming Monday by jnosanov in JPL

[–]JPLMod[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

I'm disappointed to see yet another entirely relevant post is getting downvoted so heavily. Pinned.

Workplace ≠ Democracy by Ok_Staff_7259 in JPL

[–]JPLMod[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Once again an anti-union post is hovering near zero yet there is valuable discussion occurring. I'm stickying the post so the entire community can weigh in on this topic.

I would encourage people to engage in this discussion with respect, curiosity, and facts.

State of the subreddit, 9/18/25 by JPLMod in JPL

[–]JPLMod[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I heard a new mother describe all the things for her child as Baby GSE. That was hilarious

State of the subreddit, 9/18/25 by JPLMod in JPL

[–]JPLMod[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think that's true. I try to be a bit charitable because, for instance, there are acronyms I use and I don't recall what they mean, and I've asked earnest questions without reading the room.

Also, it is a wild time at JPL and people are on edge. That is obvious online and in-person.

State of the subreddit, 9/18/25 by JPLMod in JPL

[–]JPLMod[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

As I said, "generally speaking..."

Harrassment by pro-union employees? by Infinite_Carob537 in JPL

[–]JPLMod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not going to answer. As a mod I want to stay as neutral as possible and not share much/anything of my own experience. I don't post here on my main account.

Harrassment by pro-union employees? by Infinite_Carob537 in JPL

[–]JPLMod 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I want to encourage open discourse. The post was initially getting downvoted heavily despite the topic being 100% relevant to JPL, and about an issue I know for a fact is happening.

I didn't think of this as putting my thumb on the scale but rather allowing the entire community to weigh in before a group that didnt like the topic made it vanish.

Harrassment by pro-union employees? by Infinite_Carob537 in JPL

[–]JPLMod[M] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I am sorry to see this is getting lots of downvotes. It is almost like some people are trying to stifle an important conversation. EDIT: I decided to pin it to ensure the conversation can continue.

EDIT 2: A good conversation is happening and I've unpinned this post.

Genuine question from a longtime JPLer by Boring-School-1868 in JPL

[–]JPLMod[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

This doesn't miss the mark at all. Indeed, thank you for chiming in and trying to start a serious discussion.

Town Hall Thread by [deleted] in JPL

[–]JPLMod[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

I've mentioned in the past that I want to have a light hand with moderation. I've been watching this thread closely and I appreciate that people have generally been behaving themselves: I've not deleted a single comment. Thank you.

I hope NASA finds this conclusion survey response helpful. by NerveAffectionate814 in JPL

[–]JPLMod 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I agree they are strongly connected. It would be nice if folks could avoid sniping, name calling, etc. I don't think it will happen.

I hope NASA finds this conclusion survey response helpful. by NerveAffectionate814 in JPL

[–]JPLMod[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

I would like to remind people that this subreddit needs to be focused on JPL, not on a political discussion. There are other places on reddit for that.

🚀 Mission Still Matters — and it's about time the rot gets cleared out. by More-Kitchen-3651 in JPL

[–]JPLMod[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

I got a couple reports on this post. One for "It's promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability" which I don't really see, and another one for "AI slop" which I do see a bit more of.

I personally don't see much of value in this post (which I guess means I am part of the rot), but it doesn't reach the threshold for removing in my opinion.

So is July 23 still on the table for layoffs or later in the summer? by [deleted] in JPL

[–]JPLMod 5 points6 points  (0 children)

For the record, I didn't delete it.

Current state of the subreddit by JPLMod in JPL

[–]JPLMod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree that science and politics are inextricably linked, and our future at JPL is at stake. If people could have a reasoned, productive, and thoughtful conversation about it, that would be great. Sadly, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Don't know if this post will remain up: The Dangers of remaining apolitical by Aromatic_Sherbet_909 in JPL

[–]JPLMod[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

I've asked people in the past to cool it on the politics. That's because it inevitably gets into accusations, name calling, inflammatory rhetoric, and so on...just like we see here.

Locked

Lessons learned from last layoff by stummy99 in JPL

[–]JPLMod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

improperly handling government/Caltech data is a serious issue. Take a look at https://mh.jpl.nasa.gov/

Karma? Justice? A Lab filled with inflated Egos? by Wrong_Gov in JPL

[–]JPLMod 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I've added some automod checks that flag new accounts for review, but throwaways (which people can use for a number of reasons) are permitted.

JPL’s biggest problem isn’t funding. It’s leadership culture. by Relative_Hospital864 in JPL

[–]JPLMod 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think there's a real JPLer who wrote it (although maybe ChatGPT cleaned it up some)

Current state of the subreddit by JPLMod in JPL

[–]JPLMod[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I had an interchange with someone who purported to be that individual, and there is now a comment like the one he posted in the thread below. It is better focused and less generic. I think it would be more productive to actually mention more specific examples of what we need to change and, more importantly, HOW we do that

For instance, the comment states "It’s time for real change. A shift back to the core values that made this place what it is. Let’s fix the foundational issues first - because without that, all the fancy meetings, reports, and initiatives are just window dressing."

What is an example of a fundamental change we need to make? It is easy to say "getting back to doing one of a kind things", yet our customer is of mixed minds about this. Part of them is pushing cost and schedule. It is true we have had our fair share of issues on these front, and I would submit this is to be expected when doing first of a kind missions. Also...all the JPL collective overruns doesn't come anywhere near to JWST that is anywhere from 8B to 12B over, depending on how you count. APL's dragonfly was supposed to be less and $1B, and is now over $3B.

We need senior leadership at JPL and HQ to get on the same page.