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☆ Tesla workers still make less than those at Ford and GM, despite recent raises
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Nora Naughton | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Even with a raise, Tesla workers don't make as much as union-represented workers. AdvertisementTesla recently gave some of its factory workers raises, but union-represented workers at Detroit’s Big Three will still make a lot more per hour. According to internal documents reviewed by Business Insider, new pay guidelines for Tesla workers were implemented on January 8. Why some Tesla workers aren’t focused on UAW payDespite the pay discrepancy, some Tesla workers previously told BI they’d be hesitant to join a union. But the German union IG Metall said last year that some Tesla workers at the company's Brandenburg plant had joined its union.

Persons: —, Tesla, Stellantis, aren’t, Elon, “ It’s, Musk, Metall Organizations: unionizing, UAW, NEW, Service, Business, United Auto Workers, Ford, GM, EV, National Labor Relations Board, NLRB Locations: Buffalo , New York, rehire, company's Brandenburg

☆ Tesla scores court win in Sweden in month-long battle with unions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Elon Musk has notched a victory against Swedish workers as a court ruled that Tesla can collect license plates for its cars from the country’s transport authority after postal workers refused to deliver them. Postal workers stopped delivering them to the company last week in sympathy with Tesla’s mechanics who began an ongoing strike in late October. Musk called the postal workers’ actions “insane” in a post on X last week. “Swedish wages and working conditions should apply to all workers in Sweden,” the body said in a statement on its website earlier this month. A company that comes to Sweden must adapt to what applies here.”Musk, the world’s richest man, has been vocal about his opposition to unions.

Persons: London CNN — Elon, Tesla, Musk, ” Tesla, dockworkers, ” Musk, — Olesya Dmitracova Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Sweden’s Transport Agency, Reuters, Transport Agency, Tesla, IF Metall, Swedish Trade Union Confederation, National Labor Relations Board, IG Metall Locations: Norrköping, Sweden’s, Sweden, Swedish, “, Tesla, Berlin, Germany

☆ Tesla strikes in Sweden are getting under Elon Musk’s skin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —It has taken nearly a month, but workers striking against Tesla in Sweden have finally drawn a response from the company’s famously anti-union boss. “This is insane,” CEO Elon Musk said Thursday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter that he owns. Musk was responding to news that Swedish postal workers are refusing to deliver Tesla license plates, joining a wave of action in sympathy with mechanics who stopped servicing Tesla cars late last month. About 130 mechanics began their ongoing strike in October after their employer, a Tesla subsidiary in Sweden, announced that it would not recognize their labor union, according to Expressen, a CNN affiliate. Still, the strikes by Swedish workers may embolden Tesla’s employees in Germany, where it has a large plant manufacturing electric vehicles and battery cells.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, dockworkers, Tesla Organizations: London CNN, Tesla, CNN, IF Metall, National Labor Relations Board, Reuters, IG Metall Locations: Sweden, Swedish, United States, Buffalo , New York, Germany, Berlin, German Union, —, German, Wolfsburg

☆ Tesla's problems in Sweden are getting worse as dockworkers refuse to unload its EVs from ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The mechanics' trade union is ramping up efforts after talks stalled again this week. AdvertisementThe labor dispute over Tesla's refusal to sign a collective wage agreement in Sweden has escalated into a dramatic labor battle. Unions representing multiple industries announced this week that they would join the strike in solidarity with IF Metall, the Tesla mechanics' trade union. The cleaners were joining the labor action "simply because the [IF] Metall Workers Trade Union asked us to," ombudsman Torbjörn Jonsson told Wired. In Germany, the largest labor union secured a 4% pay rise for 11,000 staff at Teslas Berlin Gigafactory.

Persons: Tesla, —, it's, who've, JOHAN NILSSON, Getty, Torbjörn Jonsson, IG Metall Organizations: Service, IF Metall, Metall, Workers, Union, Tesla, Wired, Metall Workers Trade Union, Teslas Berlin Locations: Sweden, Swedish, Malmo, Germany, Grünheide

☆ Unions in Sweden Expand Blockade Against Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Melissa Eddy | More About Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla does not produce any vehicles in Sweden, but runs several facilities where the cars are serviced. So far this year, the Tesla Model Y is the best-selling new car in Sweden, with more than 14,000 registrations through October, according to Mobility Sweden, an industry group. Unions representing cleaners have also refused to service Tesla facilities, and the postal workers’ union stopped any deliveries from reaching the company’s sites. Both IF Metall and the Transport Workers’ Union have acknowledged that Tesla has found ways around the strikes. Tesla appeared to be bringing in other mechanics to staff its facilities and bringing new vehicles into Sweden by truck, they said.

Persons: Tesla, ’, Dockworkers, ” Dirk Schulze, ” Mr, Schulze, IF Metall Organizations: Tesla, Mobility Sweden, Swedish Transport Workers ’ Union, IF Metall, Transport Workers ’ Union, IG Metall, Metall, IF, Hydro Extrusions Locations: Sweden, Swedish, Sweden’s, Germany, Berlin, Brandenburg

☆ Tesla faces pressure in Sweden as workers at supplier to strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla has no manufacturing plant in Sweden but its electric cars are serviced at workshops across the country, where around 130 mechanics affiliated with Swedish union IF Metall began a strike on Oct. 27. Hydro Extrusions's Vetlanda plant makes aluminium profiles - aluminium alloys transformed into shapes, and is the first Tesla supplier in Sweden to down tools in support of the mechanics' strike. The carmaker told IF Metall on Nov. 6 it did not want to sign a collective agreement, the union said. "We want Tesla Sweden to sign a collective agreement... We want this conflict to be as brief and short as possible," IF Metall spokesperson Jesper Pettersson said. German unions have pressured the carmaker to implement a similar agreement for its 11,000 workers in Gruenheide, near Berlin.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Tesla, Jesper Pettersson, Marie Mannes, Victoria Waldersee, Johan Ahlander, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Tesla, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Swedish, IF Metall, dockworkers, Hydro Extrusions, Hydro, IF, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Rights STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Vetlanda, Gruenheide, Berlin

The source, who declined to be named, did not say when production would begin. A general view shows the Tesla logo on the Gigafactory in Gruenheide near Berlin, Germany, August 30, 2022. At the same meeting, he informed staff of plans to build the 25,000-euro vehicle there, the source said. German union IG Metall said in 2022 that Tesla wages were around 20% below those offered under collective bargaining agreements at other carmakers. ($1 = 0.9315 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Rachel More, Bernadette Baum and Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Musk, Tesla, Annegret, Elon Musk, Europe's, Metall, Victoria Waldersee, Rachel More, Bernadette Baum, Emelia Organizations: Staff, JATO Dynamics, Reuters, Volkswagen, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Berlin, United States, Europe, China, Gruenheide, Germany

☆ Tesla is giving staff at its Berlin Gigafactory a raise, report says, as the auto industry battles growing worker discontent
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla is giving 11,000 staff at its Berlin Gigafactory a 4% pay rise, per the WSJ. Tesla workers in Sweden are already on strike, while the UAW wants to recruit members. AdvertisementAdvertisementTesla is giving workers at its Berlin Gigafactory a pay rise as unions eye the EV manufacturer, The Wall Street Journal reported. But the pay rise also comes at a shaky time for Tesla management. AdvertisementAdvertisementLast month, IG Metall said union signups from Tesla workers had surged, and accused the company of failing to follow health and safety protocol.

Persons: Tesla, —, Elon Musk's, Rishi Sunak, IG, Metall, Shawn Fain Organizations: UAW, Service, Street Journal, The, AI, British, Reuters, Germany's, United Auto Workers, Detroit, General Motors . ", Tesla, Toyota, Honda, CNBC Locations: Berlin, Sweden

☆ Elon Musk, who hates unions, has to deal with a rare strike at Tesla after his Swedish workers walked out
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Swedish union is leading strikes against Tesla to secure a collective labor agreement. AdvertisementAdvertisementTesla is facing growing strike action in Sweden over its refusal to accept a collective labor agreement. Not all Tesla employees are participating in the strikes, however. Musk has consistently rejected calls for his staff to unionise, tweeting in 2018 that Tesla employees could lose their stock options if they did so. The factory has reportedly seen an unusually high number of work-related accidents and IG Metall says union signups among Tesla workers have surged.

Persons: Tesla, —, Elon Musk's, Musk, Elon, Christiane Benner, Metall, Benner Organizations: Service, IF Metall, Tesla, The New York Times, Metall, UAW, Bloomberg, United Auto Workers Locations: Sweden, Swedish, tweeting, Europe, Berlin

☆ Tesla raises wages 4% for German workers amid union pressure, WSJ reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A general view of a Tesla's Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg building, a part of the electric car manufacture, in Gruenheide, Germany July 18, 2023. In October, Tesla said it will inform its staff this month of the level of the pay rise, adding it raised wages by 6% last year. German union IG Metall has previously said that Tesla wages were around 20% below those offered under the collective bargaining agreement. The EV maker, unlike other carmakers in Germany, does not have a collective bargaining agreement governing wages. Tesla and IG Metall did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Annegret, Tesla, Metall, Elon Musk, Urvi, Aurora Ellis, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Street, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Brandenburg, Gruenheide, Germany, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Some Tesla workers say they'd never work in a unionized factory, even as Ford and GM workers are set to get a major pay boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

While Elon Musk has spoken out against unions, a major Tesla factory reportedly has a UAW organizing committee that's speaking with workers. Some Tesla workers say they wouldn't join a unionized company and predicted the UAW would struggle to find footing at Tesla. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe United Auto Workers might have set its sights on Tesla, but some workers at the EV company told Insider they'd be hard-pressed to join a union. Even before the 36-day strike, Ford and GM already spent over $20 more per hour on factory workers than Tesla, according to analysts. Still, other workers told Insider they wouldn't jump ship even for a better pay package at a unionized company.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Shawn Fain, Tesla, Musk, they'd, Metall, Marquard, it's, you've, Fain, Elon Organizations: UAW, Tesla, Service, United Auto Workers, EV, Detroit automakers, Ford, General Motors, GM, Fremont, Elon Musk's, National Labor Relations Board, Buffalo New, NLRB, Bloomberg, Workers Locations: Fremont, California, Buffalo New York, rehire, company's Brandenburg, Tesla, Tesla's

☆ Tesla to offer German workers pay rise this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) said on Thursday it will offer a pay rise to workers at its German plant, where unions have said they earn below the industry average. The U.S. electric vehicle maker said it will inform staff in November of the level of the pay rise, adding it raised wages by 6% last year. Under last year's agreement, workers at Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) and BMW (BMWG.DE) were offered a 5.2% pay rise in June 2023 and a 3.3% pay rise in 2024 as well as an inflation premium for full-time workers of 3,000 euros ($3,160). German union IG Metall has previously said that Tesla wages were around 20% below those offered under the collective bargaining agreement. IG Metall said Tesla told workers of the upcoming raise at a series of meetings held at the plant this week.

Persons: Annegret, Tesla, Metall, Victoria Waldersee, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Benz, BMW, Metall's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Brandenburg, Gruenheide, Germany, U.S

☆ Tesla rejects union claims, reports of health and safety issues at German plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowBERLIN, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) on Tuesday rejected claims by a German union and recent media reports that health and safety provisions at its gigafactory near Berlin were inadequate, stating that protecting workers' health was a top priority. On Monday, German union IG Metall said its membership numbers from Tesla workers were rising steeply amid concerns over health and safety as well as overwork. In a written statement, Tesla said workers received training on necessary safety measures, as well as protective clothing. The plant was subject to regular checks by local authorities that safety measures were being respected, it added. The company did not address the specific claims of the union or media reports regarding the number of accidents or workers off sick at the plant.

Persons: Metall, Tesla, Victoria Waldersee, Christina Amann, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Tesla, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Berlin, U.S, Brandenburg

Companies Tesla Inc FollowGRUENHEIDE, Germany, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) workers at the carmaker's Brandenburg plant are joining the IG Metall union in rising numbers over concerns around health, safety and overwork, the union said on Monday. Reuters was not able to independently verify the union's claims and Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Union representatives met workers at the factory gates, on the platforms of nearby stations and inside the factory on Monday handing out stickers stating "Together for safe and fair work at Tesla". "The law gives all workers the right to organise in a union and stand openly for that at their workplace. That counts at Tesla in Brandenburg as well," Dirk Schulze of IG Metall said.

Persons: Tesla, IG, Dirk Schulze, IG Metall, Victoria Waldersee, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Tesla, IG, Reuters, IG Metall, Thomson Locations: Germany, carmaker's Brandenburg, Brandenburg, Poland

☆ German union calls for better staffing at Tesla plant amid expansion plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, July 17 (Reuters) - Germany's top union IG Metall on Monday called for Tesla to improve staffing conditions at its German gigafactory as it prepares to expand, with the carmaker due to publish its expansion plans for feedback from the community later this week. The expansion plans will entail adding more jobs to the 12,000 planned for the first expansion phase of Tesla's first European product hub, of which roughly 11,000 have been hired so far. Tesla's plans are a clear commitment to Brandenburg as a location," IG Metall's Dirk Schulze said. "Before the expansion of the plant, the expansion of the working conditions of the colleagues in Gruenheide must now finally have priority." Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Victoria Waldersee; editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tesla's, Dirk Schulze, Schulze, Tesla, Christoph Steitz, Victoria, David Evans Organizations: Metall, Tesla, Brandenburg, Citizens, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Brandenburg, Gruenheide

☆ Dutch watchdog looking into alleged Tesla data breach
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —The data protection watchdog for the Netherlands said on Friday it was aware of possible Tesla data protection breaches, but it was too early for further comment. Germany’s Handelsblatt reported on Thursday that Elon Musk’s Tesla had allegedly failed to adequately protect data from customers, employees and business partners, citing 100 gigabytes of confidential data leaked by a whistleblower. Handelsblatt said Tesla notified the Dutch authorities about the breach, but the AP spokesperson said they were not aware if the company had made any representations to the agency. Tesla was not immediately available for comment on Friday on the Handelsblatt report, which said customer data could be found “in abundance” in a data set labelled “Tesla Files”. The data protection office in Brandenburg, which is home to Tesla’s European gigafactory, described the data leak as “massive”.

REUTERS/Wolfgang RattaySummarySummary Companies Volkswagen China chief toured Xinjiang plant on Feb 16-17Carmaker contractually bound to plant until 2030Company notes 'more repressive approach' in region since 2015No indication of forced labour on visit - China chiefPlant no longer assembling cars, 65% staff cutBERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is contractually committed to its plant in Xinjiang until 2030, it said on Tuesday, after its China chief made the first visit by senior management to the plant in mid-February and said he saw no signs of forced labour. Ralf Brandstaetter, who has headed the carmaker's China operations since the middle of last year, spent 1-1/2 days on Feb. 16-17 touring the facility with Volkswagen's compliance and external relations chief in China. I can try and verify the facts [from joint venture partner SAIC], and that's what I did. China has strenuously denied any abuses in Xinjiang. Around 190 workers had also undertaken retraining and qualification programmes at other SAIC plants across China.

☆ Tesla reportedly laid off dozens of workers after union announcement, NLRB complaint alleges
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Kate Duffy | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla terminated dozens of employees at a site that had just announced a union campaign, an NLRB complaint alleges. Workers United claims Tesla is attempting to "discourage union activity," Bloomberg first reported. Spokespeople for Tesla and Workers United did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication. In 2017, some Tesla workers sought to unionize with the help of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW), but the initiative was unsuccessful. More recently, the NLRB ruled in August that Tesla's policy that restricts workers from wearing a union insignia is "unlawful."

☆ German labour representative says Ford execs have offered talks on restructuring plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Ford said on Jan. 20 that its planned shift to electric vehicle (EV) production will require unspecified structural changes, giving rise to fears of job cuts at its German production sites. Ford committed to an all-electric lineup in Europe by 2030 and its U.S. leadership has repeatedly flagged that EVs require less labour. German union officials said on Wednesday that Ford would decide by mid-February how many jobs to cut in Europe. "Ford management has indicated their willingness to talk," Benjamin Gruschka, who is affiliated with trade union IG Metall, told a media briefing in Cologne. He said no date for talks had been agreed and that Ford had yet to give details on what their restructuring plan entails.

The company wants to axe up to 2,500 jobs in product development and up to 700 in administrative roles, with German locations most affected, IG Metall said. Ford last year announced a $2 billion investment to expand production at its Cologne plant to make an all-electric model for the mass market. It also has a partnership with Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) to produce 1.2 million vehicles on the German carmaker's MEB electric platform over six years. That partnership remains in place, Ford and Volkswagen representatives said, though Ford's U.S. spokesperson added that Volkswagen's role in Ford's next generation of European electric vehicles was still to be determined. "We will not hold back from measures that could seriously impact the company, not just in Germany but Europe-wide."

At a separate meeting between management and workers representatives, Ford said it was planning a reduction of 65% in development jobs and around 20% in administrative jobs in Europe, a spokesperson for IG Metall said. We will not hold back from measures that could seriously impact the company not just in Germany but Europe-wide," IG Metall said. Ford of Europe produces, sells and services Ford brand vehicles in 50 markets, employing around 45,000 people at its own facilities and consolidated joint ventures, according to its website. The U.S. carmaker has committed to selling exclusively electric passenger cars in Europe by 2030, and is planning three new electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024. Writing by Rachel More and Victoria Waldersee; editing by Matthias Williams and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ford plans 3,200 job cuts in Europe as it moves some work to the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Berlin Reuters —Ford plans to cut 3,200 jobs across Europe and move some product development work to the United States, Germany’s IG Metall union said on Monday, vowing action that would disrupt the carmaker across the continent if the cuts go ahead. Ford (F) wants to axe 2,500 jobs in product development and a further 700 in administrative roles, with German locations most affected, IG Metall said. Ford of Europe produces, sells and services Ford brand vehicles in 50 markets, employing around 45,000 people at its own facilities and consolidated joint ventures, according to its website. “If negotiations between the works council and management in coming weeks do not ensure the future of workers, we will join the process. We will not hold back from measures that could seriously impact the company not just in Germany but Europe-wide,” IG Metall said.

☆ Tesla under fire in Germany over union concerns on working hours, contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Workers were also increasingly fearful about discussing their working conditions openly because of non-disclosure agreements they were told to sign along with their work contracts, IG Metall said. Over time we are observing that this enthusiasm is withering," Irene Schulz of IG Metall Berlin-Brandenburg-Sachsen said in a statement. "Tesla is not doing enough to improve working conditions and is leaving too little time for leisure, family and recovery." Tesla China has also asked some staff to sign non-disclosure agreements, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Reuters found several people on LinkedIn with the title of "Security Intelligence Investigator" working for Tesla in Austin, San Francisco and Shanghai.

☆ A major union in Germany says workers at Tesla's Berlin factory face unreasonable working hours and fear speaking out
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A major German union has criticized the working conditions at Tesla's giant Berlin plant. IG Metall said long hours mean workers have too little time for "leisure, family, and relaxation." At the conference, IG Metall, a German union representing workers at Tesla's Gigafactory has criticized the electric carmaker for poor working conditions, Reuters reported. Tesla did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside normal US working hours. Tesla struggled to hire at the Berlin-based factory because of low wages, IG Metall told Bloomberg in June.

☆ Tesla's German gigafactory is in 'total chaos' due to staff shortages, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla is struggling to recruit and retain enough staff at its German gigafactory, Wired reported. The Berlin plant is falling behind on production goals, leaving it in "total chaos," per the report. One worker told Wired: "Many people are signed off sick because the motivation isn't there." One anonymous worker told the publication that the plant was in "total chaos" due to staffing issues. Union representatives told Wired that Tesla's recruitment and retention problems reflected the company's reputation as an unattractive employer in Germany's heavily-unionized automotive sector.

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