Elon Musk has suggested that Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis could go bankrupt if they meet the demands of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.
The UAW is in the midst of unprecedented strikes against the Detroit Three while looking to sign new four-year contracts. A host of demands are being pushed by the UAW, including a 40% pay increase and a 32-hour workweek, down from the current 40 hours. If Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis oblige, Musk believes the writing could be on the wall for them.
“They want a 40% pay raise and a 32-hour workweek,” he said on Twitter. “Sure way to drive GM, Ford, and Chrysler bankrupt in the fast lane.”
Read: UAW Expands Strikes Against GM And Stellantis, But Spares Ford
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1706733689344819656
President Joe Biden recently offered his support to UAW members who are striking across the U.S. He traveled to Belleville, Michigan to joint the picket line and said that as Ford, GM, and Stellantis are “doing incredibly well,” union members should be “doing incredibly well too.”
It’s always interesting when Musk makes comments about unions. The outspoken billionaire and chief executive of Tesla has stifled efforts from his workers to unionize in the past and as it stands, not a single Tesla employee in the U.S. has union representation, making the electric car manufacturer a lone wolf in the local car industry.
Earlier this year, some 25 employees at Tesla’s Gigafactory site in Buffalo, New York working on autonomous driving technologies announced a plan to unionize with help from Workers United. The day after this announcement, Tesla fired 30 employees at the site, including at least one who was part of the 25-person committed to organizing the unionization. Additionally, several others who were let go had participated in union discussions.
The Workers United quickly filed a complaint with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board, claiming that Tesla broke federal laws by firing the workers “in retaliation for union activity and to discourage union activity.”
