Tesla workers in New York launch union drive
Employees at Tesla's Gigafactory NY are seeking higher pay and 'a voice on the job'
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Workers at Tesla's New York Gigafactory in Buffalo announced Tuesday they are looking to organize, launching the latest unionization effort at the electric vehicle giant.
The employees have formed a group called Tesla Workers United with the help of Workers United Upstate New York, which was successful in organizing the first labor union at Starbucks. TWU organizers say they are seeking higher pay and "a voice on the job."
In a press release accompanying the announcement, several Buffalo Tesla workers expressed their reasons for joining the union campaign.
"I believe in Tesla, our mission and the work I do at the company," said Zahra Lahrache. "As much as I love my job, it can feel very disheartening living paycheck to paycheck when I work for one of the most successful companies in the world, and that is why I am exercising my right to unionize."
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"I want to be valued for my passion and knowledge, but after a little more than a year and a half, all that is wanted and expected from me is my time," Tesla employee Jan Patrick said. "I don’t want to be invisible anymore, I want to have constructive conversations with people who see me as their equal."
A person walks outside the Tesla Inc. solar panel factory in Buffalo, N.Y., Dec. 26, 2018. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Tesla did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment on the Buffalo unionization effort.
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Tesla, led by CEO Elon Musk, has been able to successfully resist all previous unionization efforts, making it an outlier in the U.S. auto industry in which labor unions have significant membership numbers and power.
Photo illustration of Elon Musk in front of Tesla logo (Getty Images / Getty Images)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA | TESLA INC. | 311.18 | -19.06 | -5.77% |
Musk has made his distaste for the United Auto Workers union known in the past.
Last year, he took a jab at the UAW over embezzlement charges against one of its former officials, tweeting that the union's slogan should be "Fighting for the right to embezzle money from autoworkers."
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FOX Business' Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.