Tesla Found Guilty of Unionbusting

[ZiprHead]

The NLRB says Elon Musk threatened workers and fired one for union organizing

In 2018, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter “Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted. But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing?” That tweet began an investigation into the company by the NLRB into union-busting at the company.

Now three years later, the board has found that Musk not only violated federal labor law with that tweet but that he also illegally fired an employee, Richard Ortiz for protected union activity. Ortiz was part of a campaign called “Fair Future at Tesla” which is an ongoing campaign by the UAW to organize the electric car company.

In their decision, the NLRB found that Musk’s tweet went above a typical statement that the company wants to stay union-free and was seen as threatening. This was exacerbated by the fact that Tesla considers communications from Musk, who founded the company, as official company communications. It is illegal to threaten to take away pay or benefits from workers if they are found to be organizing a union.

In their decision, the NLRB ordered Tesla to offer Ortiz his job back and compensate him for lost earnings, benefits, and any adverse tax consequences that resulted from his firing. Tesla is also required to revise their confidentiality agreements that are given to employees to take out a section that bars workers from speaking to the media without explicit written permission from the company. National labor law “protects employees when they speak with the media about working conditions, labor disputes, or other terms and conditions of employment,” the NLRB noted.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

He doesn't have much respect for the rules, I'm not surprised.

 

[DBT]

Not much respect for rules or workers....

 

[BH]

If you cant abide by the rules governing driving they will take away your license and car. If you cant abide by the laws governing running a business then you should not be allowed to own one.

 

[Gospel]

BH that's very interesting. Doing business in America is not a constitutional right It's a privilege (like driving). I don't recall anything in the constitution saying folks have a right to be business owners.

 

[TSwizzle]

I hope people are not going to complain. I'm afraid this is just the price you are going to have to pay for the "zero emissions" fetish.

 

[ZiprHead]

I hope people are not going to complain. I'm afraid this is just the price you are going to have to pay for the "zero emissions" fetish.

Wut? Tesla is the only electric car manufacturer?

 

[TV and credit cards]

Wealth and status, the evil that most succumb to. For all Elon Musk has done, turned the world away from the ICE, been a source of pride for the US in SpaceX, he does do some boneheaded and memorable stuff. Elon, Elon, Elon. You know what they say: One aw shit wipes out a whole lotta atta boys. Do you treat your SpaceX employees this way too? I think not. Do your Tesla floor workers deserve any less in treatment? I think not.

 

[laughing dog]

I hope people are not going to complain. I'm afraid this is just the price you are going to have to pay for the "zero emissions" fetish.

Nah, it is posts like yours that are the price to pay for zero emission cars because there is no logical, social, or economic connection between illegal activity and making electric cars.

 

[Derec]

Can you really blame Tesla? Corrupt UAW pretty much ruined the Detroit carmakers.

The NLRB rules have become way too pro-union and need reform. A business should be allowed to argue against unionization.

In the end, the people benefiting most form unions are parasitic fat cat union bosses.

 

[Derec]

BH that's very interesting. Doing business in America is not a constitutional right It's a privilege (like driving). I don't recall anything in the constitution saying folks have a right to be business owners.

I guess he could move manufacturing to a different country then. How would that help present Tesla employees?

 

[DBT]

Move somewhere where it's easier to exploit workers?

 

[Gospel]

BH that's very interesting. Doing business in America is not a constitutional right It's a privilege (like driving). I don't recall anything in the constitution saying folks have a right to be business owners.

I guess he could move manufacturing to a different country then. How would that help present Tesla employees?

What does that question have to do with my finding it interesting that the constitution doesn't say folks have the right to be business owners?

 

[laughing dog]

The NLRB rules have become way too pro-union and need reform. A business should be allowed to argue against unionization.

Anyone familiar with labor law, labor history, and the history of the auto manufacturers would vehemently disagree with your characterization. BTW, threatening to take away stock options if there is pro union vote is not arguing against unionization - it is making a direct threat against the employees.

Plenty of companies conduct successful anti-union campaigns without breaking any laws or getting fined.

 

[Jarhyn]

The NLRB rules have become way too pro-union and need reform. A business should be allowed to argue against unionization.

Anyone familiar with labor law, labor history, and the history of the auto manufacturers would vehemently disagree with your characterization. BTW, threatening to take away stock options if there is pro union vote is not arguing against unionization - it is making a direct threat against the employees.

Plenty of companies conduct successful anti-union campaigns without breaking any laws or getting fined.

I would say no companies conduct any kind of anti-union campaign without breaking laws. The only question is whether the laws they break are broken *visibly*, from my perspective.

 

[Politesse]

Musk: Still my least favorite neighbor. Utter contempt for the law, common sense, and basic safety precautions. Buy a Mirai. Support your local union.

 

[Rhea]

I wish I could buy my internet from a pro-union municipal rural fiber project. I will happily pay them instead of Elon Musk the minute they enter my neighborhood.

 

[Harry Bosch]

I hope people are not going to complain. I'm afraid this is just the price you are going to have to pay for the "zero emissions" fetish.

It's funny, some on the right disapprove of Musk because he wants to save the environment; some on the left disapprove of Musk because of his business practices. For me, I'm 1,000 on for his goals of zero emission cars and his batteries. He's the leader in battery technology. Someday soon we'll have electric vehicles, plug them in at night while your solar panel roof tiles power the car. I'm buying a Tesla this year. I also 1,000% support spacex and his desire to colonize Mars in the future. I don't approve of his union bashing. But at the same time, would not be happy if he were to move production to a foreign country. We need more entrepreneurs like Musk...

 

[Politesse]

I hope people are not going to complain. I'm afraid this is just the price you are going to have to pay for the "zero emissions" fetish.

It's funny, some on the right disapprove of Musk because he wants to save the environment; some on the left disapprove of Musk because of his business practices. For me, I'm 1,000 on for his goals of zero emission cars and his batteries. He's the leader in battery technology. Someday soon we'll have electric vehicles, plug them in at night while your solar panel roof tiles power the car. I'm buying a Tesla this year. I also 1,000% support spacex and his desire to colonize Mars in the future. I don't approve of his union bashing. But at the same time, would not be happy if he were to move production to a foreign country. We need more entrepreneurs like Musk...

Oh, he won't. Those types are all full of bluster. He kept making headlines all year threatening to move his family and operations all to Texas by the end of 2020, all as petty venegeance for being asked - not required, just asked - to follow quarantine rules here in California. And did he? No. Because at the end of the day, liberal paradises are still better for business than conservative shitholes.

 

[Angra Mainyu]

I hope people are not going to complain. I'm afraid this is just the price you are going to have to pay for the "zero emissions" fetish.

It's funny, some on the right disapprove of Musk because he wants to save the environment; some on the left disapprove of Musk because of his business practices. For me, I'm 1,000 on for his goals of zero emission cars and his batteries. He's the leader in battery technology. Someday soon we'll have electric vehicles, plug them in at night while your solar panel roof tiles power the car. I'm buying a Tesla this year. I also 1,000% support spacex and his desire to colonize Mars in the future. I don't approve of his union bashing. But at the same time, would not be happy if he were to move production to a foreign country. We need more entrepreneurs like Musk...

Oh, he won't. Those types are all full of bluster. He kept making headlines all year threatening to move his family and operations all to Texas by the end of 2020, all as petty venegeance for being asked - not required, just asked - to follow quarantine rules here in California. And did he? No. Because at the end of the day, liberal paradises are still better for business than conservative shitholes.

Link?

From what I read (e.g., https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/08/elon-musk-confirms-he-moved-to-texas.html ), he moved to Texas. He did not move all operations to Texas, though I don't know he threatened to do so. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised, as he has said plenty of things he didn't do.