The dispute between the UAW and the Detroit Big Three has come to an end. On Monday, General Motors announced a temporary agreement with the unions, indicating that all three automakers have found ways to continue working with the unions.
However, the compromise of the Detroit Big Three is not all that the auto unions are pursuing. Previously, UAW Chairman Shawn Fain had clearly expressed his next stage goal - Tesla.
Fain emphasized on Sunday that the victory of the contract with the Big Three proves the effectiveness of the union's current organizational approach. By 2028, when it returns to the negotiating table, the negotiating targets will not only be the Big Three, but also the Big Five or even the Big Six.
In addition to well-known car brands such as Toyota and Volkswagen, Tesla is clearly receiving more attention from unions. Tesla is the world's largest automaker by market value and a leader in the electric vehicle market, with tens of thousands of non union workers in the United States.
According to insiders, Tesla's factory in California has approximately 20000 workers, and the workers there are planning to establish a union. UAW has also promised to provide all necessary resources for collective bargaining at the factory.
Undercurrent surging
Tesla CEO Musk has always been a staunch opponent of the union. Mark Eberley, a former employee of Tesla's Fremont factory, is therefore very pessimistic, stating that UAW is eager to intervene in Tesla, but they should not have the opportunity.
Seth Harris, former deputy director of the White House National Economic Commission, previously stated that any effort to organize a union in Tesla would be like participating in a mass exodus.
But Fain remained confident, stating that thousands of non union automotive workers were seeking to join the UAW, and he referred to Tesla, Honda, and Toyota workers as future UAW members.
The Fremont factory is clearly at the forefront of the union's tentacles, and it is also the place where the union's power remains the deepest. Prior to Tesla's acquisition, it belonged to a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota, and was only sold to Tesla as a non union factory after General Motors and Toyota gradually withdrew.
Since 2016, Fremont workers have been discussing plans to reintroduce unions into the factory, but Musk has been trying to stop them. Tesla has sabotaged the emergence of unions in many ways, and even resorted to radical strategies such as Musk's direct posting threat, factory censorship of union supporters, and dismissal of union enthusiasts.
However, with the restructuring of UAW management and the increasing support of the American public for unions, Tesla's union crackdown strategy is clearly not sufficient. Fain also pushed the boat with the tide, stating that he was fighting for the entire American working class, and the enthusiasm of Tesla factory workers continued to ferment during this period.
Harris recently reminded that Musk should not underestimate Fain, as UAW has shown its advantages of being fearless and well organized.