Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s battle against the staunchly pro-union Biden administration continues. We previously told you about how Congress’ Build Back Better legislation (which sure doesn’t look like it will ever pass the Senate) included electric-vehicle tax incentives geared exclusively towards unionized auto manufacturers. In other words, Detroit's Big Three (General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis) would benefit while Tesla would essentially be penalized, all after Biden didn't invite Tesla (which is still the largest EV seller) to his August 2021 EV conference.

Following Biden’s State Of The Union address, Musk dared the UAW to attempt to organize Tesla’s employees in California. “Our real challenge is [that] Bay Area has negative unemployment, so if we don’t treat and compensate our (awesome) people well, they have many other offers and will just leave!” Musk wrote. “I’d like hereby to invite UAW to hold a union vote at their convenience. Tesla will do nothing to stop them.”

It’s an unmistakable response to Biden’s address, specifically because Biden declared, “I believe every worker deserves a free and fair choice to join a union.” In doing so, Biden plugged the PRO Act, which he insisted, “will bring us closer to that reality.”

Musk, to be certain, disagrees with that claim. He’s also butted heads with the NLRB, which doesn’t take kindly to Musk’s union-free stance. The board previously directed him to delete a 2018 tweet, in which he suggested that employees would give up stock options (and he blamed the UAW if this was to happen) if they organized. He also didn’t see why his employees would even opt to organize, since unionized GM employees earn less than their Tesla counterparts, who also don’t pay union dues. 

And notably, Biden declined to mention Tesla in his SOTU speech. Instead, he praised GM and Ford for increasing their EV production, despite how (as Musk pointed out), his Bay Area factory remains “the largest auto plant in North America” and “has built 2/3 of all electric vehicles in North America, twice as much as all other carmakers combined.” 

In other words, Musk isn’t afraid to point out that Biden’s not only snubbing Tesla because its workers aren’t represented by a union, but the Tesla chief is also putting his mouth where his money is – with a challenge to the UAW.