Tesla Unionization

[TSemi]

WHAT IN THE WORLD!! THE NORDS HAVE GONE BERSERK!!

This is pretty big news! A government entity of Norway is pressuring Tesla into a collective bargaining agreement with IF Metall.


The Government Pension Fund Norway (GPFN) is managed by Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM)

MSN

Tesla should recognise union, Norway's sovereign wealth fund says​

By Terje Solsvik

OSLO (Reuters) -U.S. auto maker Tesla Inc should respect fundamental labour rights, including collective bargaining, Norway's $1.5 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest stock market investor, told Reuters on Friday.

The electric vehicle producer faces a backlash in the Nordic region from unions and some pension funds over its refusal to accept a demand from Swedish mechanics for collective bargaining rights covering wages and other conditions.

Norges Bank Investment Management, which operates the Norwegian fund, is Tesla's 7th biggest shareholder with a 0.88% stake worth some $6.8 billion according to LSEG data.

"We expect companies in which we invest to respect fundamental human rights, including labour rights," NBIM said in a statement to Reuters when asked about Tesla's conflict with its Swedish workers.

"In 2022 we supported a shareholder proposal at Tesla that asked the company to introduce a policy to respect the right to organise," it added.

The 2022 proposal, which NBIM said was supported by 32% of those who voted, called on Tesla to adopt a policy of respecting labour rights such as freedom of association and collective bargaining. The company's board recommended a 'no' vote.

Tesla, which has revolutionised the electric car market, has managed to avoid collective bargaining agreements with its roughly 127,000 workers, and CEO Elon Musk has been vocal about his opposition to unions.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

The company has said its Swedish employees have as good or better terms than those the union is demanding.

PensionDanmark, one of Denmark's largest pension funds, said on Thursday it had divested its $69 million holdings in Tesla, while fund manager Paedagogernes Pension said it would follow suit and divest its $35 million stake.

NBIM declined to comment on whether its investment in Tesla would be affected by the car maker's position.

The Norwegian fund's separate ethics council, which can recommend that NBIM divests from companies that do not meet its expectations, also declined to comment.

NBIM said its expectations are built on international standards drawn up by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and global conventions on human rights.

In its expectations documents NBIM says that companies it invests in "should engage with workers and their representatives, such as trade unions" in a transparent manner when developing and implementing policies and practices.

'WATCH LIST'

Denmark's AkademikerPension said on Friday it would hold on to its $18 million stake in Tesla but added that it kept the car maker on a watch list and expected the parties to find a satisfactory solution to the ongoing conflict.

"It seems that it has not dawned on Tesla's management that proper working conditions create more value and fewer risks in companies," AkademikerPension's CEO Jens Munch Holst said.

Sweden's AP1 state pension fund, which held a $187 million stake at the end of June, said keeping a dialogue with Tesla was its preferred course of action over selling its shares.

Another Swedish fund, AP4, which has a $114 million Tesla stake, said the workers dispute did not constitute a basis for exclusion as a shareholding.

The New York State Common Retirement Fund said it has "long been concerned" with Tesla's labor issues.


"We have filed multiple shareholder proposals and written letters seeking improvements to Tesla's labor policies and parties," it said in a statement. "Divestment is not a consideration at this time."

 

[heltok]

Volvo, Spotify etc firing thousands of workers = great investment.
Tesla not giving 12 workers the collective agreement they want = unethical to invest in.

It's like Disney doing ads on network which allows child pornography and causing antisemitism, but will pull their ads for a tweet that could have been antisemitic but was later clarified to not be. They care more about their image of doing good than actual doing good.

 

[unionbustin]

WHAT IN THE WORLD!! THE NORDS HAVE GONE BERSERK!!

This is pretty big news! A government entity of Norway is pressuring Tesla into a collective bargaining agreement with IF Metall.
en letters seeking improvements to Tesla's labor policies and parties," it said in a statement. "Divestment is not a consideration at this time."

The people in the countries have decided that they won't get bullied by a crazy billionaire into giving up their way of doing business. Shocking I know. What more interesting is to ponder what the brand implications of tesla being seen as a bully that's steady losing against the little guy, whose going to want to be seen in these cars even after all of this settles lol. Big business petulaent baddie being taken to task by the little guy working together, classic of a story as american pie.

Tesla is going to lose this fight, you know it, I know it and I can't help but smile at the bending over backwards that people will do to justify it into a 4d chess move by Tesla, telling everyone that it is in fact Tesla that's laughing and they for sure aren't mad, all the while the brand just keep tanking because the boy king can't pick his battles because of all the documented drug abuse as of late.

 

[2daMoon]

Where, exactly, has Elon bullied anyone?

Who was bullied?​

In what way were they bullied?​

Use small words if it is easier for you.

Every instance of bullying has been on the part of IF Metall doing harm against a law abiding company.

When a bully attacks you, and you do nothing in response, that doesn't make you a bully too.

I can't wait for the next thrilling episode.

Is someone making more popcorn?

 

[unionbustin]

Where, exactly, has Elon bullied anyone?

Who was bullied?​

In what way were they bullied?​

Use small words if it is easier for you.

Every instance of bullying has been on the part of IF Metall doing harm against a law abiding company.

When a bully attacks you, and you do nothing in response, that doesn't make you a bully too.

I can't wait for the next thrilling episode.

Is someone making more popcorn?

If a Chinese company came to America and started trying to treat american workers in the same way they treat whatever, you'd be pissed. If they went above that and said, **** your American customs and laws, we are going to ignore all of that and just keep doing our Chinese or insert whatever boogeyman country you want.

Your inability to see how this looks from the outside is, well like you said, can't wait for the next thrilling episode, and can't wait for you and a few others to keep posting in denial of objective reality as Tesla takes L after L. The unions laid out their demands, their plans and thus far are executing according to what they said. Tesla and Musk are purely reacting from one siutation to another and crying about how unfair this and that are. The popcorn is good indeed.

 

[2daMoon]

So, as usual, you will make a baseless claim and when asked to provide an example, you won't do it.

Thanks for confirming that you are just lashing out and have no access to the parts of your brain which are used to process logic and reason in order to examine facts in a civil manner on a discussion forum.

Would you like to play again? You can be the troll this time.

Show me an example where Tesla and Musk have in any way responded to this silliness. They just keep selling cars and going about their business.

You do realize the best selling car in Sweden is a Tesla, right? Do you know why? It is because Tesla are masters at overcoming adversity, adapting to supply chain disruptions, and getting the job done with the most dedicated group of employees ever seen in a company this large.

That's why.

Pass the popcorn, you are bogarting it.

 

[Krugerrand]

If a Chinese company came to America and started trying to treat american workers in the same way they treat whatever, you'd be pissed.

Yes! I’d be so pissed to be treated via higher wages and better benefits. How dare Tesla pay their Swedish workers more and treat them better than IF Metall’s collective agreement!

Carry on. The next ban will be longer.

 

[unionbustin]

Yes! I’d be so pissed to be treated via higher wages and better benefits. How dare Tesla pay their Swedish workers more and treat them better than IF Metall’s collective agreement!

Carry on. The next ban will be longer.

All the info you've gotten has been spoon fed to you by Teslas PR department. Everything counter to what Teslas has stated you and others dismiss out of hand, remember back how you touted that small court injunction as some grand win for Tesla and a sign of good things to come? Things have only gotten worse, more people across more countries are getting involved.

Maybe, just maybe, all of these people have some information you aren't privy too and that Tesla doesn't want you to know. I can link to article after article of Tesla workers getting mistreated and injunred at rates far outside of whats normal, and you'd dismiss them as just propangada by insert whatever boogeyman right? Well I guess you can believe this is, I dunno, a giant conspiracy to work against Tesla because people like to make their lives harder because factrory work isn't hard enough, or maybe things have gotten so bad that they're willing to risk everything because that's what Teslas outright refusal to even come to the negitionation table has forced them into.

Like I said, all of this could have been handled so quiet, workers still get ****ed overall, tesla still makes and sells cars in the market. But nope, because Musks stubbornness, there hasn't even been any bad faith negotiation attempts made by Tesla to stall things. They just havn't evne bothered. as was noted earlier by someone.

So ya, I can see why people may be pissed and you're seeing that play out in front of your eyes. In about 1-2 weeks when Musk is crying about conspiracy this and mafia that, and the 20th starts and the real actions take effect, that's when you'll look back and go, why didn't musk just humor the unions. But hey, maybe you're right, maybe this is unions using their mafia magic to brainwash people in multiple countries, across multiple cultures, into all believing that Musk is in the wrong.

 

[2daMoon]

You clearly don't even understand the counter-argument, as your attempt to parrot it consistently misses the point. Though yes, Tesla's PR department is world renown, for not even existing.

Is it possible for you to pick one topic for discussion and stick with it through multiple posts?

Perhaps there is a higher incidence of Tourette's Syndrome among union members, or, is it just that you are unable to communicate without bouncing off the walls like a squirrel on speed?

It would be wonderful if those taking the IF Metall side were able to manage a simple conversation where it is expected that claims can be supported by fact, rather than just being imagined.

Though, I must say, you DO have a vivid imagination.

 

[Krugerrand]

All the info you've gotten has been spoon fed to you by Teslas PR department. Everything counter to what Teslas has stated you and others dismiss out of hand, remember back how you touted that small court injunction as some grand win for Tesla and a sign of good things to come? Things have only gotten worse, more people across more countries are getting involved.

Maybe, just maybe, all of these people have some information you aren't privy too and that Tesla doesn't want you to know. I can link to article after article of Tesla workers getting mistreated and injunred at rates far outside of whats normal, and you'd dismiss them as just propangada by insert whatever boogeyman right? Well I guess you can believe this is, I dunno, a giant conspiracy to work against Tesla because people like to make their lives harder because factrory work isn't hard enough, or maybe things have gotten so bad that they're willing to risk everything because that's what Teslas outright refusal to even come to the negitionation table has forced them into.

Like I said, all of this could have been handled so quiet, workers still get ****ed overall, tesla still makes and sells cars in the market. But nope, because Musks stubbornness, there hasn't even been any bad faith negotiation attempts made by Tesla to stall things. They just havn't evne bothered. as was noted earlier by someone.

So ya, I can see why people may be pissed and you're seeing that play out in front of your eyes. In about 1-2 weeks when Musk is crying about conspiracy this and mafia that, and the 20th starts and the real actions take effect, that's when you'll look back and go, why didn't musk just humor the unions. But hey, maybe you're right, maybe this is unions using their mafia magic to brainwash people in multiple countries, across multiple cultures, into all believing that Musk is in the wrong.

A great work of humor fiction.

 

[KBF]

If a Chinese company came to America and started trying to treat american workers in the same way they treat whatever, you'd be pissed. If they went above that and said, **** your American customs and laws, we are going to ignore all of that and just keep doing our Chinese or insert whatever boogeyman country you want.

Your inability to see how this looks from the outside is, well like you said, can't wait for the next thrilling episode, and can't wait for you and a few others to keep posting in denial of objective reality as Tesla takes L after L. The unions laid out their demands, their plans and thus far are executing according to what they said. Tesla and Musk are purely reacting from one siutation to another and crying about how unfair this and that are. The popcorn is good indeed.

Except... Tesla hasn't broken a single Swedish law. There would be a law suit against them if they had.

Yes, different customs, but we've seen Japanese auto companies come into America in the past and do just fine, bringing with some some helpful philosophies that Americans actually adopted. It's called openness to new ideas - that can be evaluated over time and either adopted or rejected. There was pushback against 'foreign cars', especially at first (and still is in some small circles), but because they didn't break laws, those Japanese companies settled in over time and American companies adjusted too and even learned a bit from those 'foreigners'. It was a tough road, but got sorted out.

This will also get sorted out in the end, and we may be surprised to see how this turns out - Sweden has some choices to make that will significantly affect their economy. Law changes are possible in either direction, but this conflict seems to be a catalyst for change in any case. That's the interesting bit.

It's a big gamble for IF Metall to face the most adaptable large corporation I've ever seen. I've followed Tesla since the pre-Roadster days - they've faced many supply chain issues, dealerships blocking them from selling in certain States when they were still small, and all sorts of malignment/FUD from day one (long before Musk got any global attention). I don't know if the union has paid much attention to Tesla's history...

 

[samppa]

I have been talking with other Tesla owners here, consensus is that IF Metal has gone too far, and as said its trying to force Tesla to join even when Tesla employees wouldn't want to.

People would be disappointed if Tesla gives in here. Which I don't think will happen, Tesla will just go on, keep delivering, business as usual.. eventually the strikes will calm down.

 

[Buckminster]

Worst case: This ends up in CJEU and Germans remind Scandis they in charge

Best case: This ends up in CJEU and Germans remind Scandis they in charge

 

[johnnycnote]

The people in the countries have decided that they won't get bullied by a crazy billionaire into giving up their way of doing business. Shocking I know. What more interesting is to ponder what the brand implications of tesla being seen as a bully that's steady losing against the little guy, whose going to want to be seen in these cars even after all of this settles lol. Big business petulaent baddie being taken to task by the little guy working together, classic of a story as american pie.

Tesla is going to lose this fight, you know it, I know it and I can't help but smile at the bending over backwards that people will do to justify it into a 4d chess move by Tesla, telling everyone that it is in fact Tesla that's laughing and they for sure aren't mad, all the while the brand just keep tanking because the boy king can't pick his battles because of all the documented drug abuse as of late.

Oh look! Another but hurt TSLA short seller!

 

[Takumi]

If a Chinese company came to America and started trying to treat american workers in the same way they treat whatever, you'd be pissed. If they went above that and said, **** your American customs and laws, we are going to ignore all of that and just keep doing our Chinese or insert whatever boogeyman country you want.

Your inability to see how this looks from the outside is, well like you said, can't wait for the next thrilling episode, and can't wait for you and a few others to keep posting in denial of objective reality as Tesla takes L after L. The unions laid out their demands, their plans and thus far are executing according to what they said. Tesla and Musk are purely reacting from one siutation to another and crying about how unfair this and that are. The popcorn is good indeed.

Actually, there's a process for that. If a Chinese company wanted to come to America they'd have to do it through Mexico. Union jobs that a company in the US can't support has to be in Mexico.

So where does Sweden want those union jobs?

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

SpaceX workers face above-average injury rates as Musk prioritizes Mars over safety, report finds​

A Reuters investigation found hundreds of previously unreported injuries.​

Sat, Nov 11, 2023

A Reuters investigation into unsafe working conditions at SpaceX has uncovered more than 600 injuries going back to 2014 that have not been publicly reported until now. Current and former employees cited in the report blame CEO Elon Musk’s aggressive deadlines and hatred of bureaucracy, alleging his goal of getting humans to Mars “as fast as possible” has led the company to cut corners and eschew proper protocols.

Injury rates at some SpaceX facilities are much higher than the industry average of .8 injuries or illnesses per 100 workers, Reuters found. At its Brownsville, Texas location, the 2022 injury rate was 4.8 per 100 workers. At the Hawthorne, California manufacturing facility, it was 1.8. In McGregor, Texas, where the company conducts rocket tests, the injury rate was 2.7.

Employees have suffered broken bones, lacerations, crushed fingers, burns, electric shocks and serious head wounds — including one that blinded Brownsville worker Florentino Rios in 2021 and another that left employee Francisco Cabada in a coma since January 2022. At SpaceX’s McGregor site, one worker, Lonnie LeBlanc, was killed in 2014 when wind knocked him off the trailer of an improperly loaded truck. [...

SpaceX workers face above-average injury rates as Musk prioritizes Mars over safety, report finds

A Reuters investigation into SpaceX has uncovered more than 600 injuries going back to 2014, at multiple facilities across the country. Workers who spoke to the publication said CEO Elon Musk prioritizes getting to Mars over safety protocols.

www.engadget.com

 

[TSemi]

I don't know if the union has paid much attention to Tesla's history...

The union doesn't care. IF Metall looks at Tesla as the foreigner company doing business in Sweden and must go by the collective bargaining agreements all large companies have with unions. They believe they have the tools to persuade/pressure Tesla into a collective bargaining agreement.

If you paid attention to how UAW went about their strike with the Detroit Big Three you would understand what is taking place.

UAW's Shawn Fain made it clear his strategy - he would shut down factories with the least impact on the company first and then if negotiations weren't progressing the way UAW wanted then a larger or more important factory to the companies profits would be shut down by strike and so on until the UAW was satisfied with the contract agreement.

IF Metall is using a similar strategy. Employing sympathy strikes gradually and using financial institutions they have influence with that have TSLA stock to drop their TSLA portfolios or threaten by implication to.

Think of it as two adversaries in a handshake. One squeezing the others hand until they can no longer take the pain and they relent and let go.

Make no mistake IF Metall is hurting Tesla financially gradually but surely. Even though Tesla is finding a way to ship their cars to Sweden it's at an extra cost to get them there.

With losing Hydro Extrusions as a supplier it will cost Tesla some time to replace them. Time is money with an automotive factory, the loss of production numbers albeit temporarily.

It appears IF Metall has influential friends in high places in businesses and throughout the Swedish government.

 

[2daMoon]

SpaceX workers face above-average injury rates as Musk prioritizes Mars over safety, report finds​

A Reuters investigation found hundreds of previously unreported injuries.​

Sat, Nov 11, 2023

A Reuters investigation into unsafe working conditions at SpaceX has uncovered more than 600 injuries going back to 2014 that have not been publicly reported until now. Current and former employees cited in the report blame CEO Elon Musk’s aggressive deadlines and hatred of bureaucracy, alleging his goal of getting humans to Mars “as fast as possible” has led the company to cut corners and eschew proper protocols.

Injury rates at some SpaceX facilities are much higher than the industry average of .8 injuries or illnesses per 100 workers, Reuters found. At its Brownsville, Texas location, the 2022 injury rate was 4.8 per 100 workers. At the Hawthorne, California manufacturing facility, it was 1.8. In McGregor, Texas, where the company conducts rocket tests, the injury rate was 2.7.

Employees have suffered broken bones, lacerations, crushed fingers, burns, electric shocks and serious head wounds — including one that blinded Brownsville worker Florentino Rios in 2021 and another that left employee Francisco Cabada in a coma since January 2022. At SpaceX’s McGregor site, one worker, Lonnie LeBlanc, was killed in 2014 when wind knocked him off the trailer of an improperly loaded truck. [...

SpaceX workers face above-average injury rates as Musk prioritizes Mars over safety, report finds

A Reuters investigation into SpaceX has uncovered more than 600 injuries going back to 2014, at multiple facilities across the country. Workers who spoke to the publication said CEO Elon Musk prioritizes getting to Mars over safety protocols.

www.engadget.com

Wow, and Reuters has always been so kind to Elon in the past. How disappointing.
/S

I'm sure a follow up report will be forthcoming showing how this compares to the rates at similar industries for context, and, adds details from OSHA investigations on whether or not the injured employees were following safety protocol and using any required Personal Protective Equipment for the task.

Much as IF Metall will be forthcoming regarding the actual purpose of their attack on a company operating legally, safely, paying above scale, and whose majority of employees have chosen not to join the union.

Up to now, IF Metall's propaganda machine seems to have been taking lessons from Reuters.

Edit: corrected PPD to PPE, Personal Protection Equipment

 

[TSemi]

Worst case: This ends up in CJEU and Germans remind Scandis they in charge

Best case: This ends up in CJEU and Germans remind Scandis they in charge

How long will this take though? I don't see any court action thorough the EU getting through quickly. Most likely it would take months to get through the EU courts.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

Wow, and Reuters has always been so kind to Elon in the past. How disappointing.
/S

I'm sure a follow up report will be forthcoming showing how this compares to the rates at similar industries for context, and, adds details from OSHA investigations on whether or not the injured employees were following safety protocol and wearing required PPDs for the task.

Much as IF Metall will be forthcoming regarding the actual purpose of their attack on a company operating legally, safely, paying above scale, and whose majority of employees have chosen not to join the union.

Up to now, IF Metall's propaganda machine seems to have been taking lessons from Reuters.

PPD?

That acronym is not included in the Wikipedia-article...

PPD - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org