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highplainsdem

(52,620 posts)
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 11:26 AM Nov 3

Canvassers for Elon Musk's America PAC Were Fired and Stranded in Michigan After Speaking Out

Source: Wired

-snip-

Muldrow and the rest of her canvassing group of roughly a dozen people had just been fired en masse, after WIRED reported that they had been tricked and threatened as part of Musk’s get-out-the-vote effort. Speaking publicly for the first time about her ordeal, Muldrow says that the canvassers in her group were fired with little explanation beyond a complaint that someone had spoken with the press. Many, including her, were still owed money. Muldrow had to find her own way home; others are still stranded in Michigan.

-snip-

On October 15, Muldrow’s cousin Ebony Jones recruited her for the job, offering upwards of $2,000 per week and a return flight, per emails reviewed by WIRED. Muldrow signed a nondisclosure agreement the same day, and was then flown to Michigan on October 18 as part of a campaign for Blitz Canvassing, a subcontractor which had received more than $9 million from America PAC for presidential campaign canvassing as of October 29. Only upon her arrival in Michigan did Muldrow realize what this job would really entail: canvassing for Trump.

No one in her group of contractors—referred to internally as a “cell”—had a driver’s license. They were initially transported via Ubers, and were then driven back and forth for nearly two weeks in a pair of seatless U-Haul vans between their targeted neighborhoods, staying in a series of motels and AirBnBs in the Detroit suburbs of Warren, Livonia, and Mount Clemens. The three suburbs are in Wayne and Macomb County, the latter of which was the only Detroit-area county Trump won in 2020. In Macomb, where Muldrow primarily spent her time canvassing, he got 53 percent of the vote—almost exactly the same level of support he earned in 2016, when he secured a margin of tens of thousands of votes in a state decided by a little more than 10,000 votes.

The cell was composed entirely of Black people, strangers from out of state who did not know each other but were usually forced to share rooms, according to Muldrow. According to a text message from Jones, Muldrow was promised $1.50 per door, and $2 per door if she knocked 1000 or more doors per week—an all but impossible number. Muldrow further says they were told they would have to pay for their lodging unless they met the unrealistic quotas. The contract the door knockers signed stated they were “expected to maintain a 17-22% engagement rate during the campaign,” a high target relative to the number of people who typically open their door for a stranger. Videos recorded by Muldrow show cramped living quarters and frequent bickering between members of the cell.

-snip-


Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/canvassers-elon-musk-america-pac-fired-stranded-michigan-mistreatment/



Tyra Muldrow was able to fly home to Florida thanks to a Michigan political consultant - who has nothing to do with Musk's PAC - whom she'd met while out canvassing near his home October 23. He paid for her plane ticket.

She had not been paid what she was owed, but was sent payment via CashApp days later, and also sent a text asking her to tell Wired she'd been paid asap.

(Please note: There is another story on Musk's canvassing operation in LBN this morning - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143333278 - but that's about California, not what was done in Michigan.)
19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Canvassers for Elon Musk's America PAC Were Fired and Stranded in Michigan After Speaking Out (Original Post) highplainsdem Nov 3 OP
What can they expect from one who grew up with Apartheid on the brain? GreenWave Nov 3 #1
Another class act from Elon Musk. republianmushroom Nov 3 #2
We need to make NDSs illegal in political situations. They discourage the truth Karadeniz Nov 3 #3
Mallory McMorrow: A few of you have asked what we can do, so FYI I connected with Jake who let me know that the... demmiblue Nov 3 #4
This is how Trump, Musk and Vance will treat the whole country if they get installed muriel_volestrangler Nov 3 #5
Predictable based on Musk's history of loathing labor. Hugin Nov 3 #6
Other state AG has filed labor law violation chargers against the space nazi over this, MI needs to do the same. nt yaesu Nov 3 #7
"and also sent a text asking her to tell Wired she'd been paid asap" Grokenstein Nov 3 #8
Anybody else find it interesting that Musk hired Black canvassers for a county that's over 80% white? Ramsey Barner Nov 3 #9
He's either trying to moniss Nov 3 #13
I think there's another aspect to this - the sudden appearance of lots of Black people in white neighborhoods. Ramsey Barner Nov 3 #16
Could be Stephen Miller trying to go subliminal. nt moniss Nov 3 #18
A valuable life lesson JoseBalow Nov 3 #10
Byron Donald is rewarded for working against oasis Nov 3 #14
Also a violation for a commercial business to moniss Nov 3 #11
These are the kind of labor relations that Trump and Musk want. iemanja Nov 3 #12
Yeah, that's how you get people to vote for "your boy". Fire them, don't pay them, 4lbs Nov 3 #15
Muskie learned from his fat, orange boyfriend louis-t Nov 3 #17
Elon is so like his twin, Donald. Jit423 Nov 3 #19

Karadeniz

(23,448 posts)
3. We need to make NDSs illegal in political situations. They discourage the truth
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 11:36 AM
Nov 3

from coming out. Also Trump praised Eloi's recommendation to simply fire any employee who bucks slavish obedience.

demmiblue

(37,866 posts)
4. Mallory McMorrow: A few of you have asked what we can do, so FYI I connected with Jake who let me know that the...
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 12:03 PM
Nov 3
A few of you have asked what we can do, so FYI I connected with Jake who let me know that the canvassers have been connected with a lawyer. But if I hear that they are still stuck will do what I can to ensure they have flights home and aren’t trapped here and share how to help.




muriel_volestrangler

(102,601 posts)
5. This is how Trump, Musk and Vance will treat the whole country if they get installed
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 12:16 PM
Nov 3

Shut up, do your assigned low-paid job, and anyone complaining will be punished and put into the Untermenschen class.

As well as The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood wrote about another dystopia (a trilogy in this case) - MaddAddam. It is science fiction, but much of the premise stems from the rich and powerful taking inequality to unheard-of lengths, and the way there looks more likely than the civil war needed for The Handmaid's Tale to be fully realised. Highly recommended.

Hugin

(34,691 posts)
6. Predictable based on Musk's history of loathing labor.
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 12:22 PM
Nov 3

I will cite as an example, his mercurial firing of the entire division of Tesla which was building out a workable charging infrastructure… Apparently, just because.

The man is an unstable menace and I would say he needs to be called in on the carpet. However, with his legions of fanbois. I sincerely doubt that will happen anytime soon.

yaesu

(8,290 posts)
7. Other state AG has filed labor law violation chargers against the space nazi over this, MI needs to do the same. nt
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 01:26 PM
Nov 3

Grokenstein

(5,846 posts)
8. "and also sent a text asking her to tell Wired she'd been paid asap"
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 02:17 PM
Nov 3

Ha ha, there it is! Ugh, fine, here's your damn money, now will you PLEASE tell the press we paid you? Stop making us look bad!!

moniss

(6,010 posts)
13. He's either trying to
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 03:11 PM
Nov 3

give the impression of widespread black support or, more likely, he and his canvasser subcontractor doesn't know squat about the Detroit area. The whites living out in those areas aren't fooled by some stunt like that. The people in those areas know themselves pretty well. Dearborn is what is going to tell the race in that area. If the Muslim community understands that the Orange Ruski is way worse for the Palestinians and Lebanese then they may split for Harris.

Ramsey Barner

(669 posts)
16. I think there's another aspect to this - the sudden appearance of lots of Black people in white neighborhoods.
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 05:25 PM
Nov 3

JoseBalow

(5,417 posts)
10. A valuable life lesson
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 02:40 PM
Nov 3

Something about sleeping with dogs...

Please forgive my lack of sympathy for drump-supporting dipshits.

oasis

(51,730 posts)
14. Byron Donald is rewarded for working against
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 03:33 PM
Nov 3

his best interests.
These fools reap nothing but humiliation.

iemanja

(54,825 posts)
12. These are the kind of labor relations that Trump and Musk want.
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 03:09 PM
Nov 3

But the white working class still votes for them.

4lbs

(7,395 posts)
15. Yeah, that's how you get people to vote for "your boy". Fire them, don't pay them,
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 05:17 PM
Nov 3

and strand them.

Wins over their hearts and minds, alright!

Jit423

(349 posts)
19. Elon is so like his twin, Donald.
Sun Nov 3, 2024, 06:56 PM
Nov 3

Their money won't save them in the end. They are already suffering in their own minds.

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