Current:Home > InvestTesla is raising factory worker pay as auto union tries to organize its electric vehicle plants-LoTradeCoin
Tesla is raising factory worker pay as auto union tries to organize its electric vehicle plants
View Date:2024-12-23 19:09:07
DETROIT (AP) — Factory workers at Tesla have been told to expect pay raises this year, a move that comes as the United Auto Workers union tries to organize the electric vehicle maker’s U.S. plants.
The UAW said Thursday that Tesla workers have told the union about company statements on the raises, which did not give details about the size of the increases.
After winning strong contracts with Detroit’s three automakers last year, the union has embarked on an effort to organize all nonunion auto plants in the U.S., including Tesla’s assembly and battery factories in Texas, California and Nevada.
The Tesla raises come after nearly all companies with nonunion auto plants announced worker pay increases shortly after the UAW contracts were ratified.
The UAW said its organizing drive will target more than a dozen U.S. plants run by Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda, Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW and Volvo. Tesla also is on the list, along with EV startups Rivian and Lucid.
UAW President Shawn Fain has called the raises at nonunion automakers the “UAW bump,” saying that they were given in an effort to thwart union organizing efforts.
“As great as these raises are, they still fall far short of what the companies can afford and what autoworkers are worth,” Fain said in a statement Thursday.
A message was left Thursday seeking comment from Tesla, which is based in Austin, Texas.
Tesla production workers, material handlers and quality inspectors will get a “market adjustment” pay raise, according to Bloomberg News, which reported the raises early Thursday.
The UAW said this week that over 30% of workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, have signed cards authorizing a vote on union representation.
The action at Mercedes comes after more than 1,000 workers at Volkswagen’s Tennessee factory signed similar cards authorizing a vote.
The union says its strategy includes calling for an election at factories when about 70% of the workers sign up. A union can seek an election run by the National Labor Relations Board once a majority of workers support it.
The UAW pacts with General Motors, Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis include 25% pay raises by the time the contracts end in April of 2028. With cost-of-living increases, workers will see about 33% in raises for a top assembly wage of $42 per hour, plus annual profit sharing, the union said.
Tesla also has found itself locked in an increasingly bitter dispute with union workers in Sweden and neighboring countries. The electric car maker’s CEO Elon Musk is staunchly anti-union.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- NASCAR Championship race live updates, how to watch: Cup title on the line at Phoenix
- U.S. charges Russian soldiers with war crimes for allegedly torturing American in Ukraine
- Louisiana governor-elect names former gubernatorial candidate to lead state’s department of revenue
- Panera Bread's caffeine-fueled lemonade cited in another wrongful death lawsuit
- Forget the bathroom. When renovating a home, a good roof is a no-brainer, experts say.
- Senior UN official denounces ‘blatant disregard’ in Israel-Hamas war after many UN sites are hit
- Activists say their voices are stifled by increasing rules and restrictions at COP28 climate talks
- Watch 'mastermind' deer lead police on chase through Sam's Club in Southern California
- Massachusetts lawmakers to consider a soccer stadium for the New England Revolution
- Brock Lesnar's daughter breaks school record in shot put for Colorado State
Ranking
- Monument erected in Tulsa for victims of 1921 Race Massacre
- 'DWTS' crowns Xochitl Gomez, Val Chmerkovskiy winners of the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy
- These families trusted a funeral home. Their loved ones were left to rot, authorities say.
- Taylor Swift is TIME's 2023 Person of the Year
- OneTaste Founder Nicole Daedone Speaks Out on Sex Cult Allegations Against Orgasmic Meditation Company
- Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown pleads not guilty to killing mother
- See Gigi Hadid and Irina Shayk Step Out to Support Bradley Cooper—and You'll Want Fries With These Pics
- Coast Guard rescues 5 people trapped in home by flooding in Washington: Watch
Recommendation
-
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says next year will be his last in office; mum on his plans afterward
-
Michael Urie keeps the laughter going as he stars in a revival of Broadway ‘Spamalot’
-
Red Hot Chili Peppers extend Unlimited Love tour to 2024 with 16 new North America dates
-
Jury acquits officer in Maryland county’s first police murder charge in shooting handcuffed man
-
Patricia Heaton criticizes media, 'extremists' she says 'fear-mongered' in 2024 election
-
Erin Andrews Reveals What NFL WAGs Think About Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's Romance
-
AP PHOTOS: An earthquake, a shipwreck and a king’s coronation are among Europe’s views in 2023
-
Amazon’s internal plans to advance its interests in California are laid bare in leaked memo