Tesla cleared of claim that it fired Giga New York employees for unionizing

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A U.S. labor board has thrown out a complaint alleging that Tesla fired dozens of workers over unionizing efforts at its Gigafactory in New York.

A regional NLRB official tossed out the complaint on Friday, according to a report from Reuters, following the Workers United union’s initial filing of the complaint in February. The initial filing alleged that Tesla had fired the employees “in retaliation for union activity,” though the ruling clears the automaker of the claim.

Following the original complaint, Tesla said it had selected the fired employees before the union announced labor efforts at the factory, as a normal part of the company’s performance review structure. The union continued organizing after Tesla denied the allegations, and it plans to follow up on Friday’s ruling.

Workers United said it will request that the NLRB general counsel’s Office of Appeals re-evaluate the dismissal of the claims thrown out on Friday.

Despite the ruling, the official also said they found some merit to other claims surrounding the case, and the board warned that Tesla will still need to settle those allegations.

NLRB spokesperson Kayla Blado said on Monday that the official found that Tesla was still violating federal law by establishing rules on how workers could use their devices in the workplace. Tesla had previously banned workers from using their devices to create audio recordings in the workplace, according to Workers United attorney Michael Dolce in a separate report from The Detroit News.

If Tesla doesn’t settle the alternative claim, Blado says the board will formally present the complaint to an agency judge.

“I think when the general counsel’s office digs into the case then they’ll see that it’s a clear pattern of retaliation against a unionizing group of workers and clearly a violation of labor law,” said Jaz Brisack, the union’s organizing director for New York. “I’m confident that the Tesla workers will finally see the justice that they deserve, and we as a union will have their backs the entire way.”

The news comes amidst speculation that a separate union, the United Auto Workers (UAW), could target Tesla’s factories after a successful strike against Ford, General Motors (GM) and Stellantis. UAW President Shawn Fain even called Toyota and Tesla workers “members of the future,” highlighting the union’s plans to continue organizing at non-union represented factories in the U.S.

Tesla workers hard-pressed to join union despite UAW efforts: report

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

Tesla cleared of claim that it fired Giga New York employees for unionizing





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Tesla Model Y surprises by overtaking Jeeps in quick sand dune climb

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There are things that Telsas are known to do. Winning drag races easily is one of them, and more recently, with the advent of the Model S Plaid with Track Mode, competing on the track has become another. Off-roading, however, has always been considered as something that would have to wait, at least until the Cybertruck starts its consumer deliveries. 

This is not to say that Tesla has not put in any effort to develop its vehicles’ off-roading capabilities. When the Model Y was released, electric vehicle enthusiasts quickly observed that the all-electric crossover had a dedicated “Off-Road Assist” mode. Few looked at the feature very seriously, however, as the Model Y’s low ground clearance suggested that the vehicle would be an adequate “soft-roader” at most. 

As per a recent video that was shared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, it would appear that the Tesla Model Y’s off-road performance should probably not be dismissed. In the short clip, the Model Y could be seen starting at the same line as a couple of Jeeps. As the climb began, the Model Y proceeded to easily and authoritatively overtake its two combustion-powered peers. 

At the end of the video, the Model Y could be seen driving all the way up to the top of the sand dune while the two Jeeps turned back near the top. Overall, it’s pretty difficult not to be impressed with the Model Y as it practically treated the sand dune as a drag strip. That’s quite an accomplishment for a city car like the Model Y. 

The video, of course, only increases the excitement for the upcoming Cybertruck, which is starting its deliveries at the end of the month. The Tesla Cybertruck is designed from the ground up to be a tough vehicle that can take severe punishment, so when it comes to tackling sand dunes, the all-electric pickup truck will likely do quite a bit better than its crossover sibling.

Elon Musk has stated in the past that the Cybertruck should be able to perform well at Baja. Over the past months, Cybertruck release candidates were indeed spotted testing at the off-road location. The Cybertruck has also been seen testing at off-road areas like Hollister Hills in California. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Tesla Model Y surprises by overtaking Jeeps in quick sand dune climb





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Tesla’s next software update has front camera washer button and more

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Tesla appears to be rolling out a front camera washer button and a number of other features with its next software update, as spotted over the weekend.

Code sleuth and close Tesla follower GreenTheOnly has discovered a number of new features coming to vehicles with the 2023.44.1 update, including the addition of a front camera washer button, the addition of Shaka media player, and a new ability to adjust playback speed in Apple Podcasts, among other additions still.

The front camera washer button comes ahead of the Cybertruck’s launch next week, with the electric pickup expected to include the front camera. Green also shared a photo of the button, though the image has since been removed from X.

There has been some confusion over whether the new Model 3 “Highland” would include the front fascia camera, as Tesla originally shared photos of the vehicle on its website that included the new feature. However, initial deliveries of the refreshed Model 3 have omitted the camera and the automaker has since removed it from all images.

As for the playback speed update, Green notes that the associated file is called apple_podcasts, confirming that the playback speed feature is specifically for Apple Podcasts.

Below are all the features Green says will hit Tesla’s vehicles with the next update.

  • Front camera washer and activation button
  • Shaka media player
  • Apple Podcasts 1.25x, 1.5x and 2x playback speeds
  • New IIHS seatbelt reminder mode with higher pitch and frequency
  • Cabin Camera can be used to enable or disable HOV lane use (requires additional cabin camera permission)
  • Most probable path navigation mode added
  • New low-voltage battery options added

According to Teslascope, the 2023.44.1 software update was first spotted in some cars on Friday, and it’s currently just beginning to roll out to vehicles. However, release notes are not yet available at the time of writing.

Tesla regularly deploys over-the-air (OTA) software updates to improve its vehicles, often adding new features and adjustments to the features its cars currently include. Recent examples include the addition of live object-on-road detection, expected to first debut in China, along with the recent inclusion of congestion fees at Superchargers, both spotted in update 2023.38.

Tesla may add live object detection and more in upcoming update

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

Tesla’s next software update has front camera washer button and more





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