Posted on 01/06/2014 4:14:33 PM PST by nascarnation
Tesla is happy to do things differently than other automakers, from the company-owned stores to the all-electric drivetrain. It also doesn't use union workers at its factory in Fremont, California (the former NUMMI plant, pictured). But now the United Auto Workers (UAW) is testing the waters for representation at the plant, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.
UAW President Bob King has revealed that the UAW has created an organizing committee in Fremont. How this would change things at Tesla – and whether it would be a good or bad thing – is not really known, but it would certainly make the EV company more like the Big Three in this one aspect.
We heard rumblings of unions at Tesla in 2010, when Toyota and Tesla announced they were going to collaborate on developing EVs. At that time, the United Auto Workers said it wanted union workers back at the plant, especially some of the 4,500 who ended up unemployed after the General Motors/Toyota partnership that built cars at NUMMI was shut down. That didn't happen, but Tesla has called unionization a 'risk' to business in a financial report.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk at least has a plan for running his shop both with and without a union. As he told Wired in 2009, "Most of our experienced factory workers come from unionized environments, and we asked them what benefit did they see in unions. They said, 'Well, if their boss was an asshole, they had recourse.' I said, 'Let's make a rule: There will be no assholes.' I fired someone for being an asshole. And I only had to do that once, actually."
Tesla declined comment to AutoblogGreen about the new union rumblings, but when we spoke with Musk in 2012, he described the longer-than-average work hours:
Right now we're working six days a week. Some people are working seven days a week – I do – but for a lot of people, working seven days a week is not sustainable. The factory is operational seven days a week but most people we only ask to work six days a week right now and, obviously, we want to get that to a more reasonable number. I think people can sustain a 50-hour work week. I think that's a good work week. If you're joining Tesla, you're joining a company to work hard. We're not trying to sell you a bill of goods. If you can go work for another company and then maybe you can work a 40-hour work week. But if you work for Tesla, the minimum is really a 50-hour week and there are times when it'll be 60- to 80-hour weeks.
Despite the long hours, it's interesting to note that there do not seem to be calls from within Tesla for unionization.
Another business to be destroyed and people put out of work by the union?
Parasites.
Another recipient of corporate welfare handouts from the government being hoist on their own petards by their fellow leftists?
The UAW can’t help Tesla.
Tesla or the union? To hell with both of them.
Love your post.
We could have dueling progressives...
Musk smoozed 0bummer and now the UAW will smooze Musk.
Musk: “But if you work for Tesla, the minimum is really a 50-hour week and there are times when it’ll be 60- to 80-hour weeks. “
OK, I guess, if that’s disclosed up front. But, with a long and variable work week, are these salaried positions or is the pay work dependent? ‘Cuz if it is fixed, the workers will be whipped for long hours for quite a while before management realizes any business uptick is permanent, and that leads to discontent.
It really is amazing how commie pigs will attack other commie pigs with a blood lust that non commie pigs have never seen nor endured!
Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Pol Pot, et al. killed so many of their own with such verve and vigor, its just amazing.
Kim Jung Un? His OWN uncle? Just wow.
Commie pigs are commie pigs. No more explanation is necessary.
Bingo.
> Tesla CEO Elon Musk at least has a plan for running his shop both with and without a union. As he told Wired in 2009, “Most of our experienced factory workers come from unionized environments, and we asked them what benefit did they see in unions. They said, ‘Well, if their boss was an asshole, they had recourse.’ I said, ‘Let’s make a rule: There will be no assholes.’ I fired someone for being an asshole. And I only had to do that once, actually.”
Really? What about the assholes who vote in the union? What recourse then, Musk? Thanks nascarnation.
And yet, ten years from now, they’ll claim they “built “the company….
Remember, behind every economic catastrophe….is a powerful union….
It’s California! What could go wrong?
The factory is very near the old Solyndra facility. It may have the same fate.
Solidarity forever!
Popcorn time.
Can’t wait to see how the high tech neo commies that run Tesla get to interface with their brethren in the union leadership.
Makin’ cars ain’t like writing software to shuffle electronic money from one account to the next - it takes hard work by Blue Collar workers.
Reality is going to crash into ideology for good ‘ol Elon Musk in short order.
I van’t even begin to imagine how much the UAW and Teamsters guys are looking forward to organizing a company with a founder named Elon.
takes hard work... and tons of government handouts
They ought to be careful... you’re FIRED has a different meaning at Tesla.
Different business same factory. The Fremont plant was a GM/UAW plant that was closed due to the union shenanigans. Now they want a redo so they can ruin Tesla. Since Tesla is probably getting government welfare (corporate cronyism), I bet the union gets in.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.