Workers in Sweden support strike at Tesla
Listen to the story (Canadian accent)
Tesla workers in Sweden have been on strike for almost one month. The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, made his first public comment about the strike on Thursday. He said, “this is insane.”
The strike started with about 130 Tesla mechanics in October. The mechanics wanted to join a union, but Tesla Sweden, a subsidiary of Tesla, said its workers can’t be in a union.
Since October, other workers in Sweden have started to support the Tesla workers’ strike. First, dock workers started to block new Tesla cars from entering the country. Then, electricians stopped doing work for the carmaker. Now, Swedish postal workers are refusing to deliver license plates for Tesla cars.
The IF Metall union started the strike with mechanics. On the union’s website it says it wants “good wages, good pensions and good insurance” for workers at Tesla.
In Sweden, around nine out of ten workers are in a union.
Workers at Tesla in the US have tried three times to start a union but failed. There are not strong laws to protect workers there. This year, Tesla fired 30 workers in Buffalo who tried to join a new union.
11,000 Tesla workers in Germany have also been putting pressure on the company to allow unions.
Tesla has plans to build the largest car factory in Europe in Germany and build one million EVs a year.
Vocabulary29 words
- Strike
- a work stoppage organized by employees to demand better working conditions or higher wages; when employees agree to stop working and try to get more money from their employer
- CEO (Chief Executive officer)
- the top person in a large company; president; boss
- Public
- general people, all people, citizens; available for all people; open to everyone
- Comment
- something that you say or write that expresses your opinion; An opinion or statement about something
- Insane
- Something that seems crazy, not normal or foolish
- Mechanic
- A person who repairs/fixes machines, especially cars
- Join
- To become a part of or be included in a group or organization
- Union (trade union)
- an organization that workers join for protection and support
- Subsidiary
- A company that is owned or controlled by a bigger company
- Dock
- A place where ships are loaded and unloaded; a place where ships park
- Block
- to stop or prevent something from happening or moving forward; to prevent/stop someone or something from passing through
- Electrician
- Someone who works with electrical things.
- Carmaker
- a company or business that makes cars
- Postal
- Related to the mail or post office
- Refuse
- to say or show that you will not do something or that you do not want something
- License plate
- a metal piece on a car with numbers and letters
- Wage
- money that is paid to someone for the work they do, usually hourly or daily
- Pension
- Money that is paid to someone after they retire from their job; Money you get when you're older and no longer work
- Insurance
- a service or protection that helps you if something bad happens, like getting sick or having an accident; A type of protection that pays for something if it is lost, damaged, or stolen
- Nine out of ten
- 90%;
- Law
- a rule, regulation, or guideline set by the government
- Protect
- keep safe or secure; guard; defend
- Fire
- to remove someone from their job; dismiss a worker from a job; to let go; to lay off; dismiss
- Put pressure on (someone)
- To try to influence/persuade someone to do something; to make demands or expect something from someone
- Allow
- permit; let; to give permission; OK
- Plan
- A detailed idea or strategy to reach a goal
- Factory
- a large building where things are made or produced
- Million
- 1,000,000 - one-million
- Electric vehicle (EV)
- A car that runs only on electricity, not gasoline.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Tesla _____ in Sweden have been on strike for almost _____ month. The CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, made _____ first public comment about the _____ on Thursday. He said, “this is insane.”
_____ strike started with about 130 Tesla mechanics in _____. The mechanics wanted to join a union, but Tesla _____, a subsidiary of Tesla, said its workers can’t be in a _____.
Since October, _____ workers in Sweden have started to support the Tesla workers’ strike. _____, dock workers started to block new Tesla cars from _____ the country. Then, electricians stopped _____ work for the carmaker. Now, Swedish _____ workers are refusing to deliver license plates for Tesla _____.
The IF Metall union started _____ strike with mechanics. On the union’s website it says it _____ “good wages, good pensions and good _____” for workers at Tesla.
In Sweden, _____ nine out of ten workers are in a union.
Workers _____ Tesla in the US have tried three times to start a union but _____. There are not strong laws to protect workers _____. This year, Tesla fired 30 workers in Buffalo who tried to join a _____ union.
_____ Tesla workers in Germany have also been putting pressure on the company to _____ unions.
Tesla has _____ to build the largest car factory in Europe in Germany and _____ one million EVs a year.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Elon Musk called the strike “insane”?
- Do you think it's fair for workers to go on strike if they are not happy with their job? Why or why not?
- How important do you think unions are for workers? Explain your answer.
- Do you think it's fair that Tesla is against unions?
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