Power Trip
Tesla’s Union Battle Is About the Future of Our Planet
Want a better world? Don’t leave workers behind.
Workers at Tesla are fighting for a little more power. And Elon Musk is hitting back, hard.
Tesla’s billionaire CEO has been accused of using shady tactics to squash a union drive at Tesla’s auto plant in Fremont, California, which was named one of the most dangerous car factories in the country in 2016. Employees say Musk discouraged them from forming a union, sometimes through his Twitter account, and then illegally retaliated against workers who tried to organize. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is currently reviewing the case, which opened with a hearing in June.
This case isn’t just about Tesla. It’s about the future of an industry that sees itself as key to addressing the climate crisis. Clean tech companies peddle a progressive vision of a low-carbon future, but Tesla’s anti-union fervor suggests that some in the industry have lost sight of their work’s bigger point. Keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere isn’t just about averting planetary catastrophe, it’s about creating a world in which everyone feels safe, lives decently, and is treated with fairness and respect. That means protecting workers.
Autoworkers are used to…
