Union Busting Works Council Election at Tesla: IG Metall Second-Strongest Force Despite Threats

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure a majority. Following the works council election at the Tesla plant, IG Metall reaffirmed its commitment to better working conditions at the Gigafactory. “Despite all the attacks from management and an exceptionally unfair election campaign, the IG Metall ‘Tesla Workers GFFB’ list has become the second-strongest force,” explains Jan Otto, district director of IG Metall Berlin-Brandenburg-Saxony. “We will use this momentum to secure better working conditions in the face of anti-union management.”
 

116 candidates ran on the IG Metall slate for better working conditions 

The“IG Metall – Tesla Workers GFBB”slate ran against 10 opposing slates. 116 employees ran on the IG Metall slate. For better working conditions, a healthier work environment, and less pressure. In addition to better pay (according to IG Metall, the majority of employees earn significantly less than at auto manufacturers bound by collective bargaining agreements) and improved working conditions (among other things, Tesla operates on a 38-hour workweek), the metalworkers at Tesla want, above all, more respect for employees. They held thousands of conversations. More and more employees showed their support for IG Metall, for example by wearing IG Metall T-shirts at the plant. But in the end, despite growing support, they did not achieve a majority.

“We’re pleased that, after such an unfair election campaign and despite all the threats, so many colleagues have placed their trust in us. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough to secure a union majority,” says Laura Arndt, a works council member on the IG Metall slate. “We will continue to do everything in our power on the new works council to ensure that things change for us and our colleagues at the Gigafactory. One thing is non-negotiable for us: We stand firmly on the side of the workforce, no ifs, ands, or buts.”

“Given the massive threats, this election result deserves great respect,” says works council member Philipp Schwarz from the“IG Metall – Tesla Workers GFBB”slate. “At Tesla, we’re not just fighting for a works council that stands with the workforce. We’re also defending the democratic rights that the labor movement fought hard to win. Each and every one of us was willing to accept personal sacrifices for this cause. This election campaign has shown once again how easy it is for a single multi-billionaire to undermine our democracy. We must all work together to prevent this from setting a precedent.”
 

Musk openly threatened to halt investments

Tesla and CEO Elon Musk are known for wanting to keep unions out. Elon Musk had already openly campaigned against IG Metall during the last works council election in 2024. According to reports from IG Metall members, Elon Musk issued a threat in a video message to employees ahead of this year’s works council election. Musk is quoted in the *Handelsblatt*, among other outlets, as saying that the situation “will certainly worsen if external organizations push Tesla in the wrong direction. We won’t close the factory, but realistically speaking, we won’t expand it either.”

Management used every means at its disposal to influence the works council election in its favor—from meetings and one-on-one conversations with supervisors to the factory radio in the restrooms.
 

Continuing to fight with all our might for better working conditions

“The resistance, hostility, and implicit threats from management that characterized this election campaign must serve as a warning to us all about the extent to which union organizing is under pressure,” explains Christiane Benner, President of IG Metall. She thanked the IG Metall candidates and expressed her respect for them. “I am convinced that, even under adverse circumstances, they will do everything in their power to stand up for workers on the ground and for better, fairer working conditions.”

At the same time, Benner calls for measures against union busting—the deliberate suppression of unions by employers. “There is an urgent need for even more effective legal action against union busting. If democracy in the workplace is weakened, this will have unpleasant consequences for our democracy in society as well.”