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 automaker not represented by a union in the United States. None of the union drives in Fremont Factory and Gigafactory New York have been successful. In late 2023, United Auto Workers announced renewed unionization efforts.
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, without union collective agreement coverage. Tesla Automation signed a remuneration-related works agreement with its works council, while refusing to sign a comparable collective agreement with IG Metall.
In Sweden, TM Sweden mechanics affiliated with IF Metall are on a historic strike since 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 and still ongoing as of January 2025[update].
- ^ "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.