UAW director says Tesla should hire former NUMMI workers

The following statement was released on May 26 by the United Auto Workers union. It includes commentary from Jim Wells, the director of UAW’s Region 5.

The recent announcement by upstart automaker Tesla Motors Inc. that it will manufacture an electric vehicle at the former New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant is welcome news for Californians.

While in the short term it won’t replace all of the 4,500 direct jobs and thousands of supplier and other jobs lost when the Fremont plant closed earlier this year, any additional jobs in a state with a 12.5 percent unemployment rate is significant.

Tesla should hire workers who give it the best chance for success: the workers whose productivity has garnered awards for the facility and who have turned out highly profitable automobiles. That means they understand how to work smart and work safe.

That also can only mean Tesla should consider former NUMMI workers before all others. The award-winning Toyota Corolla made at the NUMMI plant was the most purchased vehicle in the “Cash for Clunkers” program. NUMMI workers are used to success – they had more than 25 years of it and helped propel Toyota to unimaginable profitability.

One of the reasons the workers were so successful was that they were members of UAW Local 2244. Tesla CEO Elon Musk should be applauded for already hiring some of these workers with plans to hire more. I believe former NUMMI workers should receive priority in the hiring process based on their seniority.

It was also heartening to read Musk saying Tesla was “neutral” on any possible union organization drive – that Tesla will let workers decide for themselves whether they want a union. This kind of forward thinking will help Tesla hire the best workers and get this exciting venture off to a successful start.

I know former NUMMI workers look forward to coming “home” and returning to what they do best: building great cars that consumers want.