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Tesla Must Not Interfere in Unionization Effort

Dec. 19, 2018

Tesla Must Not Interfere in Unionization Effort

Statement of David Arkush, Managing Director, Public Citizen’s Climate Program

Note: Last week, the United Steelworkers (USW) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers launched a union organizing drive for the 400 workers at Tesla’s Solar Factory, in Buffalo, New York, which is on the site of a former steel mill where workers were represented by the USW.

Public Citizen strongly supports the right of all workers, including those at Tesla, to organize into unions. The decision to unionize should be one for workers to make on their own, without fear or intimidation from their employers. We call on Tesla to refrain from interfering with the organizing drive and remain neutral on Tesla’s workers’ decision to unionize or not.

Solving the climate crisis necessarily will involve growing a vibrant new economy around renewable energy that creates millions of new jobs. Tesla should recognize that providing good wages and working conditions is critical to making this transition rapidly and successfully.

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