Regulatory authorities in China have reported that Tesla plans to address issues in approximately 1.62 million vehicles in the country.
In a recent development, a coalition of 33 senators urged Tesla and a dozen other automakers to adopt a neutral stance regarding the United Auto Workers' (UAW) ongoing efforts to unionize U.S. auto plants.
The senators, including Democrats Gary Peters, Ron Wyden, Dick Durbin, Patty Murray, Alex Padilla, Sherrod Brown, Debbie Stabenow, and others, penned a letter addressed to Tesla's CEO Elon Musk and top executives at Toyota Motor, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Rivian, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan, BMW, and more. Their appeal urged these companies to commit to non-interference in unionization activities, emphasizing that a neutrality agreement should be the basic standard to uphold workers' rights, especially considering the federal funds these companies receive for the electric vehicle transition.
The letter voiced concerns over reported illegal actions by management at several automakers aimed at obstructing unionization efforts. It referenced findings from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regarding Tesla's use of unlawful tactics, such as online harassment, employee interrogations, and retaliatory dismissals, to impede organizing endeavors.
Volkswagen refuted allegations of anti-union activities, emphasizing its company culture that integrates labor representation within its global supervisory board. The automaker dismissed claims of destroying pro-union materials at its Tennessee plant, clarifying that maintenance staff had merely cleaned the room in question.
Hyundai highlighted its commitment to allowing workers to decide on union participation, asserting compliance with the National Labor Relations Board rules and affirming the provision of competitive wages and benefits.
Toyota, Subaru, and Rivian chose not to comment, while responses from other automakers are pending.
In late November, the UAW initiated an unprecedented initiative to publicly organize the entire non-unionized auto sector in the U.S., following successful negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers.
These campaigns involve workers at 13 non-unionized automakers, collectively employing nearly 150,000 workers at their U.S. assembly plants. The UAW's efforts seek to ensure equitable shares of the auto industry's profits for all autoworkers, prompting support from the senators and underscoring the necessity for automakers to comply with labor laws.
The UAW's recent agreements with major automakers included substantial pay raises, reduced time to reach maximum pay, increased wages for temporary workers, and their transition to permanent roles. This has prompted salary adjustments among non-unionized automakers as well.
Despite previous unsuccessful attempts to unionize foreign automaker plants, the UAW reported progress at VW's Tennessee plant, with 30% of workers having signed union authorization cards.
-------The article excerpted from yahoo.
