… But in my mind, there’s nothing funny about how Tesla has treated workers. Electric cars and trucks don’t make themselves—they’re built and assembled by autoworkers like me. I started making cars in Fremont, Calif., more than 30 years ago. I started working at New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., a joint General Motors/Toyota facility, when I was just 19 years old; I grew up in that building. Eventually, the plant closed and then reopened in 2015 as a Tesla plant.
By then, I was a father, and my kids taught me the value of “going green.” I was proud to clock in for my shifts building cars that would help protect our planet for their generation and beyond. That is, until I was fired in 2017 after helping organize a union at the plant. The National Labor Relations Board recently ordered my reinstatement with full back pay, but the company is fighting this decision in the courts.