UAW sends out organizers to unionize Tesla’s factory

[FlatSix911]

This will not end well ...

UAW goes on the offensive in attempt to unionize Tesla’s factory, sends out organizers

The most recent effort to unionize the plant was started earlier this month by a plea from a single Tesla employee, which CEO Elon Musk reduced to a “union agitator” placed by UAW. After Musk made the statement, the UAW denied having anything to do with the employee in question, but they said that they have been contacted by Tesla workers.

Today, Williams said that organizers are now in Fremont: “We have organizers out there. I do have a guy I hired who is a labor organizer but there’s nothing abnormal about it.” While they claim to be only now sending organizers, Williams said that they have been in contact with “a group of employees” for about “6-7 months”.

As we previously reported, the UAW has actually been sniffing around Tesla’s growing workforce at the Fremont factory for a while longer than that. There were a few attempts over the years dating back in 2014, but last year, UAW President Dennis Williams said that they were “respecting Tesla’s startup status” up until now.

 

[Krugerrand]

Blech

 

[FlatSix911]

The unions killed both car factories that preceded Tesla in Fremont, CA

 

[Tam]

This will not end well ...

UAW can't get workers unionized just because it wants it.

If a majority of Tesla workers vote to reject UAW then it doesn't matter how many UAW organizers are there in Tesla.

It's the vote that counts, not UAW effort.

 

[shrspeedblade]

Somebody needs to explain to the employees that they would be far better off if they self-organized and had an in-house employee association or whateveryouwanttocallit to mutually benefit themselves and the company. I have to see daily first hand what a modern union can do to an organization. And while I believe in living wages, good benefits, and a safe working environment these unions have utterly betrayed the legacy of the people who fought for decent treatment a century ago.

This is one of the most impressive, and important, American startups EVER. It requires drive, determination, responsibility, ingenuity, and dedication. Nearly everything I have personally experienced in a modern union environment is in direct opposition of those things.

 

[Ulmo]

Elon Musk already knows (and tweeted) that UAW != all unions. UAW has killed many car companies (only brought back to life by witchery called Tax Bailouts). If Tesla ever unionizes, I hope a few things:

• They don't go with a crappy union (such as UAW), and
• that Tesla automates appropriate tasks, hiring many intelligent automation experts (and increasing the demand on quality smart gene pools rather than the demand on skilled labor gene pools).

This would allow Tesla to manage costs and deal with appropriate negotiations.

I don't know anything about Union laws: if Tesla wants only a quality union, but the workers go ahead and petition for any run of the mill crappy union (e.g., UAW), does Tesla have any say? Considering many companies actually want a super-crappy union to skirt unionization, I somehow fear how this works. I think one thing that could happen is Tesla finds or creates a good union and have some employees in that, while others try to organize to become part of a crappy union, and circumvent it that way. Create standards of work quality that fit the good union work ethic but not the bad one, and hold them to those standards.

After saying all that, if Tesla chooses the union, it probably doesn't represent the workers. If the workers choose the union, it's probably because UAW showed up. It's a lose lose situation, even though there is a theoretical outcome of unionization that isn't bad (that I see almost no path to). In this case, the easiest path out for Tesla is to increase the demand on automation expert gene pools and go that route, eliminating as many factory floor labor jobs as possible. The few union jobs remaining would be very manageable. If those workers ever strike for something stupid, then a bunch of new workers could be hired (even from a good union). It's not like no one is looking for work, and that factory is huge, so it's impossible to surround.

The only time a strike could ever hurt Tesla is right now. But even then, it would put Elon Musk in a position of huge power if he plays his cards right and does his fiduciary duty to his company (including its workers) by fighting for things better for the company's future.

 

[Ulmo]

UAW can't get workers unionized just because it wants it.

If a majority of Tesla workers vote to reject UAW then it doesn't matter how many UAW organizers are there in Tesla.

It's the vote that counts, not UAW effort.

There are plenty of examples of elections being won by buffoons (look at Obama). Just because an election in favor of something is a step doesn't mean it won't be reached. The mental capacity of factory workers is easily manipulated by professional manipulators hired by organized entities.

 

[larmor]

So what are we exactly talking about: failing EV car company on the brink of collapse now to get union workers or alien dreadnaught 0.5 and 2.0 work together with GF to bargain for more capacitors?

I thought when skynet becomes self aware, the only notice we'd (humans) would get is a flash of light and then game over for our species...

 

[M0DEL³]

If I were Elon, I'd think in terms of not expanding Fremont, but rather migrating capacity to the Gigafactory. (Right to work state). That and, of course, more robots.

... and I'd make sure that the California legislature understood why...

 

[diesel]

This will not end well ...

UAW goes on the offensive in attempt to unionize Tesla’s factory, sends out organizers

The most recent effort to unionize the plant was started earlier this month by a plea from a single Tesla employee, which CEO Elon Musk reduced to a “union agitator” placed by UAW. After Musk made the statement, the UAW denied having anything to do with the employee in question, but they said that they have been contacted by Tesla workers.

Today, Williams said that organizers are now in Fremont: “We have organizers out there. I do have a guy I hired who is a labor organizer but there’s nothing abnormal about it.” While they claim to be only now sending organizers, Williams said that they have been in contact with “a group of employees” for about “6-7 months”.

As we previously reported, the UAW has actually been sniffing around Tesla’s growing workforce at the Fremont factory for a while longer than that. There were a few attempts over the years dating back in 2014, but last year, UAW President Dennis Williams said that they were “respecting Tesla’s startup status” up until now.

Let's not forget that when GM and Chrysler were "reorganised" under Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the GFC, UAW emerged as the largest shareholder in both. They have a vested interest in Tesla failing.

 

[kort677]

Elon Musk already knows (and tweeted) that UAW != all unions. UAW has killed many car companies (only brought back to life by witchery called Tax Bailouts). If Tesla ever unionizes, I hope a few things:

• They don't go with a crappy union (such as UAW),

Tesla management doesn't get to pick the union that the workers chose.

 

[McRat]

The unions killed both car factories that preceded Tesla in Fremont, CA

The UAW pretty much destroyed both California's auto industry and aerospace industry. Much of UAW in California is now the university students who are paid workers. Solidarity and Guidance for Students Affected By Immigration EO’s How is that automotive? How is social justice a collective bargaining issue for trades?

Non-trade unions are very dangerous. You have the skilled workers under-represented and the unskilled over-represented. This kills a company because it harms personal initiative. They are also run on a national agenda, not regional. This means your dues can be used against you, and often are.

 

[disagree]

There are plenty of examples of elections being won by buffoons (look at Obama). Just because an election in favor of something is a step doesn't mean it won't be reached. The mental capacity of factory workers is easily manipulated by professional manipulators hired by organized entities.

I admire how you insult the intelligence of Obama (who is undoubtedly smarter than you are) and then turn around also to demean the intelligence of factory workers. It's almost as if you are a moron.

 

[FlatSix911]

The truth ...

The UAW pretty much destroyed both California's auto industry and aerospace industry. Much of UAW in California is now the university students who are paid workers. Solidarity and Guidance for Students Affected By Immigration EO’s How is that automotive? How is social justice a collective bargaining issue for trades?

Non-trade unions are very dangerous. You have the skilled workers under-represented and the unskilled over-represented. This kills a company because it harms personal initiative. They are also run on a national agenda, not regional. This means your dues can be used against you, and often are.

 

[Lerxt]

There are plenty of examples of elections being won by buffoons (look at Obama). Just because an election in favor of something is a step doesn't mean it won't be reached. The mental capacity of factory workers is easily manipulated by professional manipulators hired by organized entities.

Uh, you do know who won the US election.....right?

 

[McRat]

Uh, you do know who won the US elections.....right?

Fixed that for you.

This time it was not the unions. Not even California could save them, which is a state that is completely run by the public employee unions.

 

[bhzmark]

Time for Tesla to Listen

This is the guy who is complaining about his job at Tesla and trying to bring in a union. Apparently it hasn't occurred to him to just find another job -- Alameda county has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in all of California.

I hope this guy's colleagues encourage him to move on if he is so dissatisfied and take advantage of the already existing leverage with employers that jobseekers in Alameda have with such a low unemployment rate. I'm sure he can find a place where he won't be subjected to distressing hard work, innovation, creativity and intelligence demanded by Tesla of its employees. This is clearly not the job for him.

Or if he isn't a total moron he should educate himself on the massive harm that the UAW has wrought on US auto mfrs and instead try to advocate intelligently for his own workplaces improvements. If he really has any good ideas he should promote them with his co-workers and supervisors on his own -- the UAW will not help him in the long run -- they will just destroy his employer as they did the other US auto makers.

Maybe he should just tweet his ideas to EM -- that's how some things seem to get done.

 

[FlatSix911]

The UAW denies that Moran is a paid organizer ... and Elon responds

Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims employee pushing to unionize is a paid agitator, UAW denies

Tesla CEO Elon Musk went a step further last night when he claimed that the employee in question has been planted by the United Auto Workers (UAW) – a claim that the union is now denying. Musk made the claim in a message to Gizmodo last night:

“Our understanding is that this guy was paid by the UAW to join Tesla and agitate for a union. He doesn’t really work for us, he works for the UAW,” Musk wrote. He added in a separate response, “Frankly, I find this attack to be morally outrageous. Tesla is the last car company left in California, because costs are so high. The UAW killed NUMMI and abandoned the workers at our Fremont plant in 2010. They have no leg to stand on.”

Considering the employee in question has been working at Tesla for four years and this is the first evidence of “agitating for a union”, it would truly be a “long con”, if true. The UAW responded to the claim via Reuters this morning:

“The worker, Jose Moran, “is not and has not been paid by the UAW,” the union said”
The union also confirmed that they were “approached” by Tesla workers in Fremont.

As we reported yesterday, the UAW has been sniffing around Tesla’s growing workforce at the Fremont factory for a while now. There were a few attempts over the years, but last year, UAW President Dennis Williams said that they were “respecting Tesla’s startup status” up until now but they would seek to unionize as the automaker’s production capacity increases.

 

[RobStark]

Considering the employee in question has been working at Tesla for four years and this is the first evidence of “agitating for a union”, it would truly be a “long con”, if true.

How do you know this to be true?

 

[McRat]

You don't have to be planted to be hired as an agitator. Most are recruited, most do it for political reasons, not money. Believe it or not, even Communists and Socialists have 9-5 jobs when they aren't wearing ski masks and throwing rocks.

When I was UAW, at the voting hall, there were tables set up and recruiters for Communist and Socialist organizations. The Union magazine was called Solidarity, and was red background with yellow lettering.

Now, that might seem normal, unless you were working on ICBMs to destroy the Commie Menace. It did seem a bit out of place at the time.