Will you sign the petition to demand NO more tax breaks for Elon Musk?

Local governments poured MILLIONS of dollars in tax incentives into Tesla, in part based on Musk's empty promises of job creation.

SIGN: STOP tax breaks for Elon Musk NOW!

Dear MoveOn member, 

Elon Musk has shockingly laid off thousands of workers: 2,700 at his Tesla plant in Austin, Texas, 3,300 in California, and hundreds in Buffalo, New York. This comes after months of union busting and worker exploitation.¹ Local governments poured MILLIONS of dollars in tax incentives into Tesla, in part based on Musk's empty promises of job creation. It's unacceptable and has to stop.

Tesla's massive layoffs have been described as "brutal," "chaotic," and a "bloodbath."^2,3 And this is just the beginning. Musk wants to lay off nearly 20% MORE workers.⁴ Meanwhile, the Tesla board just approved Musk's outrageous and greedy $45 BILLION compensation package, despite a judge ruling earlier this year that it was "unfair" and "flawed."^5,6

We can't let Musk cheat the system and profit off the backs of hardworking people. Will you sign the petition to demand local governments STOP giving Tesla tax breaks for "job creation" while it fires thousands of workers?

Workers making the federal minimum wage would have to work 3.7 MILLION YEARS just to earn what Musk greedily makes in ONE YEAR.⁷ Urge state and local elected officials to STOP giving Musk tax breaks!

In Texas, local officials handed Musk's Tesla $64 MILLION in tax breaks to set up shop in Austin, and now Tesla is axing thousands of jobs.⁸ It's a pattern repeated in other parts of the country too, like California, where Musk pocketed a $15 million tax break "tied to job creation."⁹

Workers who helped build and maintain the Tesla Austin plant say they were exploited and exhausted from the work. One worker had his hand mangled at work, and the superintendents acted as if nothing happened. Safety training and documentation were also part of the deal Musk made to get the tax breaks, but researchers say that some of those documents were filled out fraudulently.¹⁰

Tesla should NOT keep getting massive tax breaks while it's firing thousands and ignoring the safety of its workers! It needs to live up to its commitments to provide jobs with living wages, strong safety standards, and job security.

Musk's other company, SpaceX is fighting to undo worker protections and get rid of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal agency that protects workers and unions. Recently, Musk filed a lawsuit to destroy the NLRB, ridiculously calling it "the very definition of tyranny."¹¹ Musk is no friend of workers. One electric vehicle expert says this is "more than hiring inefficiency and restructuring … Musk is cleaning house."¹²

This should be a huge red flag. Yet Musk's company xAI recently announced they're planning to build "the world's largest supercomputer" in Memphis, Tennessee and local lawmakers are already rushing to applaud him for creating good jobs.¹³ After everything that has happened, Musk should not be applauded for his empty promises, and his companies should NOT be given massive tax breaks while failing to live up to their end of the deal.

Click here to sign the petition, and then share with three friends to help spread the word.

Thanks for all you do.

–Nur, Executive Director, Coworker.org

Sources:

1. "Tesla cutting around 2,700 jobs in Austin and more than 3,300 in California as part of broad restructuring," CNBC, April 23, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/194069?t=7&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

2. "Inside Tesla's chaotic month of brutal layoffs," Business Insider, May 11, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/193213?t=9&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

3. "More Tesla employees laid off as bloodbath enters its fourth week," The Verge, May 6, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/193214?t=11&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

4. Ibid. 

5. "Tesla Shareholders Approve Big Stock Package for Musk," The New York Times, June 13, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/194070?t=13&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

6. "Why Elon Musk's $55.8 Billion Compensation Package From Tesla Was Struck Down by Judge," Investopedia, January 31, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/193216?t=15&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

7. "Tesla asks shareholders to restore $56B Elon Musk pay package that was voided by Delaware judge," Associated Press, April 17, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/193217?t=17&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

8. "Tax Breaks Cushion Tesla's Texas Landing," The American Prospect, April 25, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/194071?t=19&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

9. "Tesla in line for $15 million in California tax credits," Austin American-Statesman, September 27, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/194072?t=21&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

10. "Elon Musk's Tesla Gigafactory Built on Wage Theft and Safety Violations, Texas Workers Allege," Texas Observer, November 15, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/194074?t=24&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

11. "Musk's SpaceX seeks to blow up federal labor enforcer," Politico, January 4, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/194075?t=26&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

12. "Elon Musk is throwing his weight around Tesla, comes in like a wrecking ball," Electrek, May 1, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/194076?t=28&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

13. "Elon Musk to Locate World's Largest Supercomputer in Memphis," Radio NWTN, June 5, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/194077?t=30&akid=396246%2E53570607%2ES-57a6

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