Tesla, Inc. is an American electric car manufacturer which employs over 140,000 workers across its global operations as of January 2024[update],[1] almost none of which are unionized. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has commented negatively on trade unions in relation to Tesla. Despite allegations of high injury rates, long hours, and below-industry pay, efforts to unionize the workforce have been largely unsuccessful. There are active labor disputes with Tesla in the United States, Germany and Sweden.
Tesla is the only major American auto manufacturer not represented by a labor union in the United States. None of the unionization efforts in Fremont Factory and Gigafactory New York have been successful. In late 2023, United Auto Workers announced renewed efforts to unionize.
In Germany, Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg's non-union status and lower wages compared to industry standards weakens the structural power of the automotive union IG Metall. Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg and Tesla Automation have works councils, with no union collective agreement coverage. Tesla Automation signed a remuneration-related works agreement with the works council, while refusing a comparable collective agreement with IG Metall.
TM Sweden mechanics affiliated with IF Metall went on a historic strike on October 27, 2023, which expanded when other Swedish, Danish and Norwegian unions joined by initiating their own solidarity strikes. This is the longest strike in Sweden since the 1938 Saltsjöbaden Agreement.
- ^ "Annual Report Form 10-K 2023 Tesla Inc". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. January 26, 2024. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.