New York Tesla Workers Fired After Unionization Attempt

The Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United filed a formal complaint against Tesla.

The Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United filed a formal complaint against Tesla.

Earlier this week, a group of workers at a Tesla manufacturing plant in Buffalo, New York announced their intentions to begin unionization procedures. However, merely a day later, the workers at the plant received an email informing them that they were no longer permitted to record workplace meetings without the consent of all present individuals, and several members of the would-be union coalition were fired.

“I feel blindsided, I got COVID and was out of the office, then I had to take a bereavement leave. I returned to work, was told I was exceeding expectations and then Wednesday came along,” committee member Arian Berek, who was fired, said in a statement. “I strongly feel this is in retaliation to the committee announcement, and it’s shameful.”

“We’re angry. This won’t slow us down. This won’t stop us,” Sara Costantino, another committee member, said. “They want us to be scared, but I think they just started a stampede. We can do this. But I believe we will do this.”

On behalf of Tesla Workers United, the Rochester Regional Joint Board of Workers United filed a complaint against Tesla with the National Labor Relations Board over this incident. The complaint claims that Tesla “terminated these individuals in retaliation for union activity and to discourage union activity,” and that the Board must intervene “to prevent irreparable destruction of employee rights resulting from Tesla’s unlawful conduct.”

Tesla has not publicly commented on the matter as of writing.

February 16, 2023

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