Tesla Workers Launch Union Campaign in New York
Tesla Inc. workers in New York state are launching a unionization campaign, teeing up a potential first for the electric-vehicle maker and the latest labor challenge for Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk.
The employees, who label data for Tesla's Autopilot technology at the company's plant in Buffalo, New York, sent an email to Musk early Tuesday with their intent to unionize. Employees say they're seeking better pay and job security alongside a reduction in production pressures that they say have been harmful to their health.
Workers at the plant told Bloomberg News that Tesla monitors keystrokes to track how long employees spend per task and how much of the day they spend actively working. This leads some to avoid taking bathroom breaks, six employees said.
“People are tired of being treated like robots,” said Al Celli, a member of the union's organizing committee.
If successful, the union would be a first for Tesla, which unlike other leading automakers has successfully resisted unionization at its US factories.
This campaign also represents a new test for the embattled US labor movement, which has recently notched a series of victories at longtime non-union firms, including Amazon. com Inc., Apple Inc. and Starbucks Corp.
“Unionizing will further accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy because it will give us a voice in our workplace and in the goals we set for ourselves to accomplish,” the letter to management said. It also urged the company to agree to a set of principles restricting anti-union tactics.
Musk and Tesla's human resources chief did not respond to emailed inquiries. Tesla disbanded its press-relations team in 2020.
Tesla shares are up 4.2% as of 10:18 a.m. in New York, buoyed
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