Photo: YouTube / CBS / The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The saga at the Tesla facility in Fremont, California, has just added a couple of new chapters and each is as interesting as the other.
CEO Elon Musk has received public support from President Donald Trump for defying government orders by re-opening the facility, for starters. Secondly, leaked emails seem to confirm that Tesla is using threats to get workers back at the plant, telling them they could lose their unemployment benefits if they refuse to go along with Musk’s plan.
The Fremont facility was among the last businesses to shutter in late March, with Musk saying back then he hoped operations would be back up and running as soon as possible. Late last week, the California Governor announced that non-essential businesses could re-open, as long as they met safety regulations and local government deemed it not a risk.
Musk didn’t wait to hear back from the County of Alameda authorities and announced that workers would be getting back to work on Monday, to which the County replied in the negative. The risks outweighed the benefits, so Tesla would remain closed, local authorities said, prompting Musk to say the measures were illegal, contradictory and a good reason to sue the County. In open defiance to the new restrictions, he re-opened the facility.
He also took to Twitter to set the record straight and to ask that, if anyone were to get arrested, it should only be him. He is still a free man, as of the time of writing, just in case you were wondering.
President Donald Trump is in agreement with Musk on the need to reopen the Gigafactory – and the economy as a whole. Taking to Twitter, he’s asking local authorities that Tesla be allowed to operate, as long as all safety measures are taken.
Meanwhile, employees are telling the media that they don’t really have a say in whether they get back to work or not. Tesla is not letting them choose, informing them that, should they choose to follow local government restrictions and stay home, they will lose all unemployment benefits.
“If you do not feel comfortable coming into work, you can stay home and will be on unpaid leave,” one email sent to Tesla employees reads, as reported by The Guardian. “Choosing not to report to work may eliminate or reduce your eligibility for unemployment depending on your state’s unemployment agency.”
One employee calls this a threatening tactic, with Tesla basically telling staff they will either report to work to build cars (and potentially risk infection, health complications or even worse) or face the possibility of being out of a job and without any kind of financial support.
CEO Elon Musk has received public support from President Donald Trump for defying government orders by re-opening the facility, for starters. Secondly, leaked emails seem to confirm that Tesla is using threats to get workers back at the plant, telling them they could lose their unemployment benefits if they refuse to go along with Musk’s plan.
The Fremont facility was among the last businesses to shutter in late March, with Musk saying back then he hoped operations would be back up and running as soon as possible. Late last week, the California Governor announced that non-essential businesses could re-open, as long as they met safety regulations and local government deemed it not a risk.
Musk didn’t wait to hear back from the County of Alameda authorities and announced that workers would be getting back to work on Monday, to which the County replied in the negative. The risks outweighed the benefits, so Tesla would remain closed, local authorities said, prompting Musk to say the measures were illegal, contradictory and a good reason to sue the County. In open defiance to the new restrictions, he re-opened the facility.
He also took to Twitter to set the record straight and to ask that, if anyone were to get arrested, it should only be him. He is still a free man, as of the time of writing, just in case you were wondering.
President Donald Trump is in agreement with Musk on the need to reopen the Gigafactory – and the economy as a whole. Taking to Twitter, he’s asking local authorities that Tesla be allowed to operate, as long as all safety measures are taken.
Meanwhile, employees are telling the media that they don’t really have a say in whether they get back to work or not. Tesla is not letting them choose, informing them that, should they choose to follow local government restrictions and stay home, they will lose all unemployment benefits.
“If you do not feel comfortable coming into work, you can stay home and will be on unpaid leave,” one email sent to Tesla employees reads, as reported by The Guardian. “Choosing not to report to work may eliminate or reduce your eligibility for unemployment depending on your state’s unemployment agency.”
One employee calls this a threatening tactic, with Tesla basically telling staff they will either report to work to build cars (and potentially risk infection, health complications or even worse) or face the possibility of being out of a job and without any kind of financial support.
Thank you!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 12, 2020
Google News