Space entrepreneur and business magnate Elon Musk seems to be a man made for this moment in history.
He certainly understands the need for domestic oil and gas production at this moment in history, despite losses to his own company.
Fresh off of making this noble declaration, helping the Ukrainians with their internet, and making plans to save the International Space Station after Russian threats, Musk challenged Biden and the stranglehold unions have on certain industries by inviting the United Auto Works to hold a vote in Tesla’s Freemont, CA, plant.
The announcement comes as the billionaire entrepreneur criticized the Biden administration and Democrats for a proposal to give union-made, U.S.-built electric vehicles an additional $4,500 tax incentive. Tesla and foreign automakers do not have unions at their U.S. factories. read moreOrganizing a Tesla plant would be a major victory for the UAW, which has largely failed to win the backing of workers at foreign-owned automakers’ or EV startups’ assembly plants, many of which are in the U.S. South. Tesla also has a plant in Austin, Texas.In his tweet on Thursday, Musk said the real challenge was the negative unemployment in Bay Area, and not compensating people well would make them leave as they have many offers.”I’d like hereby to invite UAW to hold a union vote at their convenience. Tesla will do nothing to stop them,” he said.
Musk’s challenge comes during an interesting exchange with iconic rocker Gene Simmons.
Musk was responding to a series of tweets by KISS leader Gene Simmons, who was criticizing President Biden for not mentioning Tesla, a luxury electric carmaker, in his State of the Union address earlier this week. In it, Biden touted Ford and GM’s efforts at building electric vehicles. Both automakers are unionized.Simmons said “The President doesn’t mention Tesla, perhaps because Tesla is non-union and moved to Texas, a ‘right to work’ state. Give Elon Musk/Tesla its due. They are game changers and should be heralded.”Musk responded, saying Tesla hasn’t closed its Fremont, Calif., location and has plans of expanding. He went on to say later that Tesla factory workers’ compensation, which includes stock options, is the highest in the auto industry.
Legal Insurrection readers may recall Musk moved Tesla headquarters, weighing both the cost of living and a hostile political environment.
California’s loss continues to be that region’s gain, as Japan’s Panasonic is eyeing a new location to manufacture batteries for Tesla close to the Texas headquarters.
Japan’s Panasonic Corp (6752.T) is looking to purchase land in the United States for a mega-factory to make a new type of electric vehicle (EV) battery for Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.Panasonic is looking at building the factory, to cost several billion dollars, in either Oklahoma or Kansas close to Texas, where Tesla is preparing a new EV plant, NHK reported. NHK gave no timeline for Panasonic’s U.S. project.
Even though I am technically a Californian, I do find it gratifying that the states with more rational leadership continue to reap the benefits of California’s hostility to manufacturing and capitalism.
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