Did Elon Musk Secretly Create A Union For Tesla And Name It “NOTA Workers Union?”
The National Organization of Transformative Automakers (NOTA) Workers Union is a union that describes itself as workers who are changing the world, and coming together with a list of demands. How this union relates to Tesla is pretty evident when you visit the website. I wonder if Elon created it. If it’s not Elon Musk, it is someone who wants to see Tesla and its employees benefit from a unique workers union — one that Tesla employees would actually favor. (Editor’s note: I think it’s clear Elon didn’t design the site, as it’s not as pretty as what Elon would create and there are capitalization errors.)
Recently, we reported that the U.S. Senate Finance Committee advanced legislation that would boost electric vehicle tax credits to as much as $12,500 for electric vehicles that are assembled by union workers in the United States. The Clean Energy for America bill would eliminate the current EV cap which Tesla and GM have already reached, instead phasing out the credit over three years once 50% of U.S. passenger vehicle sales are EVs. The proposal would boost the $7,500 tax credit by $2,500 for vehicles made in the United States, and there’s also an additional $2,500 for vehicles made at facilities whose production workers are members of or represented by a labor union. Since Tesla, as well as Volkswagen, doesn’t have U.S. union workers, their credits would be smaller.
Tesla vehicles may not qualify for the full EV credit unless they are assembled by union workers. Looks like someone may have found a solution. https://t.co/lV4BB6t8cB@elonmusk @WholeMarsBlog @anuarbekiman
— Isaac Latterell (@IsaacLatterell) May 29, 2021
Issac Latterell shared the NOTA Union site, which is how it popped across my feed. This “union” seems to be trying to gain the attention of Tesla — with Giga Texas as the website’s background and a list of demands that are clearly aligned with Tesla’s own mission and history. Even the acronym is a play on letters that remind us of The Boring Company’s “Not-A-Flamthrower.”
Here are the list of demands from NOTA Union’s website:
- Make 100% Zero Emission Vehicles by 2008
- Meaningful work accelerating the transition to sustainable energy
- Spend zero in paid advertising, investing more money in product development workers
- Stock Compensation for all full-time Employees
- Fix CEO Salary at $56,000 or minimum wage, whichever is less
- The right to purchase the vehicles we make in the state we make them
- Cars we make should be eligible for the same amount of tax credit as those made by polluting vehicle manufacturers
Comparing the demands to Tesla, we know that Tesla only makes electric vehicles (since it started producing vehicles in 2008) and the company does meaningful work in accelerating the transition to sustainable energy — that’s its mission. Tesla also spends zero in paid advertising and provides stock compensation for all of its full-time employees.
Even though some news articles claim that Elon Musk is the highest paid CEO due to stock options, he doesn’t take a salary at Tesla. Technically, he does get the minimum salary in California, but he doesn’t accept the pay.
Tesla is also advocating for the right for Texas’ citizens to purchase the vehicles made in Texas where they are made (as well as in several other states where Tesla currently can’t sell vehicles). You can learn more about this by visiting Tesla’s Engagement platform, which shares the battles that many states are having in this regard. I’ve extensively covered Connecticut and New York as well as some issues here in Louisiana.
The last demand is something that anyone advocating for clean energy, clean air, and clean vehicles will agree with. Cars made by NOTA Union’s workers should be eligible for the same amount of tax credit as those made by polluting vehicle manufacturers.
I glanced at the signup form to join the union. One of the questions asked, “Which zero-emission only automaker do you work at?” had four possible answers:
- Tesla.
- I work at an automaker that makes mostly ICE vehicles.
- Other.
- I don’t work in the industry.
The last answer leaves room for those who support Tesla and electric vehicles to join, I think. The only other question, besides the basic ones asking for basic personal information, wanted to know which of the demands you agreed with.
For Tesla, this would be the perfect union for any of its workers to join — one that is perfectly aligned with Tesla’s mission and supports both the company and its employees. If Tesla’s employees joined this union, Tesla would then qualify for the proposed extra $2,500 EV tax credit.
This is a brilliant way to support the company, support its employees, and secure an EV tax credit for Tesla’s customers. The only thing missing from this is the cherry on top.
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