Black Tesla Workers Say They Endured Racism at Factory: NYT
TESLA TROUBLE
Many workers have reported racial threats and say they’ve faced barriers to promotion at the California car plant.
Stephen Lam/Reuters
Tesla, the electric-car company founded by Elon Musk, has a problem with racial discrimination, according to more than two dozen current or former Tesla employees and contractors who spoke to The New York Times. As part of the newspaper’s investigation, these employees described a wide range of biased behavior against some black workers at the factory in Fremont, California, including threats by co-workers, demeaning and menial assignments, and barriers to promotion. One former employee, Owen Diaz, claims he has seen swastikas in the bathrooms at the plant, and said he repeatedly endured racist taunts during his shifts. Since early last year, three lawsuits by former workers have accused the automaker of failing to acknowledge and stop racial discrimination and harassment. The company, however, rejected these allegations, calling them inaccurate.“We strive to provide a respectful work environment for all employees and do our best to prevent bad conduct,” the company told The New York Times.
