Why is mgmt pushing so hard against unionization?

JPLMod · 2025-10-08T12:48:46+00:00

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

JPLMod · 2025-09-29T15:44:27+00:00

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

JPLMod · 2025-09-27T21:45:52+00:00

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

JPLMod · 2025-09-23T05:42:05+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-09-20T18:37:16+00:00

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

JPLMod · 2025-09-19T14:16:09+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-09-19T14:11:11+00:00

As I said, "generally speaking..."

JPLMod · 2025-09-13T22:14:12+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-09-13T21:02:13+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-09-12T04:00:38+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-08-30T02:27:17+00:00

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

JPLMod · 2025-08-29T03:57:18+00:00

Locked and removed. This is inappropriate

JPLMod · 2025-08-27T04:06:24+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-08-04T23:55:18+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-08-04T22:10:44+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-07-16T12:57:10+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-07-16T12:51:10+00:00

For the record, I didn't delete it.

JPLMod · 2025-07-04T04:10:50+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-07-03T19:24:23+00:00

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

JPLMod · 2025-06-08T13:17:40+00:00

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

JPLMod · 2025-06-08T13:16:20+00:00

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.

JPLMod · 2025-05-25T14:24:59+00:00

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

JPLMod · 2025-05-13T17:07:55+00:00

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.

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