Musk invites union UAW to hold vote at Tesla California factory

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk talks at the Automotive World News Congress at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan, January 13, 2015. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook (UNITED STATES – Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS)/File Photo

March 3 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Thursday he was inviting labor union United Auto Workers (UAW) to hold a vote at the electric-car maker’s California factory.

The announcement comes three months after the billionaire entrepreneur criticized the Biden administration and Democrats for a proposal to give union-made, U.S.-built electric vehicles an additional $4,500 tax incentive. Tesla and foreign automakers do not have unions at their U.S. factories. read more

In his tweet on Thursday, Musk said the real challenge was the negative unemployment in Bay Area, and not compensating people well would make them leave as they have many offers.

“I’d like hereby to invite UAW to hold a union vote at their convenience. Tesla will do nothing to stop them,” he said.

UAW did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

U.S. President Joe Biden has often praised the electric-vehicle (EV) efforts made by Detroit automakers General Motors Co (GM.N) and Ford Motor Co (F.N), even though they sell fewer EVs than Tesla.

Musk has also faced the ire of U.S. National Labor Relations Board, which last year ordered Tesla to direct him to delete a 2018 tweet saying employees would lose their stock options if they formed a union. read more

Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu

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