There is something eerie about seeing the Golden Driller’s yellow face transformed into that of Elon Musk. Since its 1966 installation, the Driller has stood as a reminder of Tulsa’s oil capital past. Now, that same statue is being utilized to get the bid for Tesla’s newest factory.
Musk’s company emphasizes clean and sustainable energy - a focus that would redefine our city. There is some irony in a statue of an oil worker being adorned in the marks of clean energy, but there is also something hopeful. For a city that in recent years markets itself as up-and-coming, a big-name company like Tesla could bring jobs, economic stimulus, and the media attention Tulsa needs to put itself back on the map.
However, before we welcome a company to our city, we should be sure the jobs they bring are stable, safe and ethical. That’s why we should also be discussing issues which make the company, and Musk himself, such big topics in business and tech. Concerns about the safety of Tesla employees show that Tesla may not be Tulsa’s golden ticket to prosperity.
According to the Guardian “Ambulances have been called more than 100 times since 2014 for workers experiencing fainting spells, dizziness, seizures, abnormal breathing and chest pains” at a Tesla factory. The same article catalogues reports of long hours and employees passing out on the factory floor. Though the auto-industry is notorious for dangerous working conditions, Business Insider reports that “Tesla received more citations from OSHA related to vehicle manufacturing than Ford, General Motors, or Fiat Chrysler from 2017 through the end of 2018.” There have also been accusations of misreporting workplace injuries, though Tesla denies these allegations.
In response to such coverage, Musk continues to claim that safety is a top priority. This is hard to believe though in the face of his recent insistence that his Fremont, CA factory reopen despite COVID-19 health concerns. He was granted the right to reopen the factory after threatening via Twitter to move the company’s headquarters elsewhere.
If a company like Tesla will leverage jobs–those same jobs Tulsa is so eager to bring here—in order to get exemption from a stay-at-home mandate, one wonders what else the company is capable of doing in the name of production.
I’ll be the first to admit I am no economist or business expert. What I am is a citizen of Tulsa, one who wishes our city's future to be bright, fruitful, and moral. Our city can be ambitious, but we must also be ethical.
A job creator has power and Musk, as the 31st wealthiest person, has power too. In our day, big corporations and their hyper-wealthy owners become modern Gods. Like Gods, they can give and they can take away. Unlike Gods, corporations have personal stakes and interests, and those interests are in terms of economic success and productivity, not human safety and wellbeing. Even as they can give us rewards like jobs, grants, and large donations, we must always be aware of the power these new Gods hold over us, keeping them in check through criticism and a watchful eye.
That’s why I, for one, am not eager to see this company brought to Tulsa, at least not until these concerns are addressed. To me, the new face of the Golden Driller feels too much like billionaire-idol-worship. The transformation of this Tulsa Icon points to our willingness to bow down to the quickest sources of jobs and economic stimuli. That same willingness could be manipulated by Musk or others like him who see our eagerness as an exploitable asset.
According to Elektrek, inside sources say that Austin will likely be chosen over Tulsa as the location for the new Tesla factory. However, even if Tesla chooses Austin, there will be more bids like this in Tulsa’s future if we keep on our current path. We as Tulsans must do our due diligence before welcoming any such company to Tulsa, lest we put our faith and the safety of our citizens too fully in a corporation’s hands.