Tesla and trade unions

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tesla-and-unions

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Tesla and trade unions?Over 140,000 employees
2. What is the US automaker union status?The only major American automaker with a predominantly non-unionized workforce
3. What does it mean that Tesla has a non-union workforce?It means most Tesla workers are not part of a union, so they don’t have a group that negotiates wages and safety together with the company.
4. Why have workers at Tesla’s factories tried to form unions?They want a collective voice to talk about wages, safety, and working hours, but the attempts have not been successful so far.

Trade Union: An organized association of workers formed to protect and further their rights and interests through collective bargaining.
Unionize: The process by which workers collectively decide to form or join a trade union to gain representation.
Collective Bargaining: The process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees, typically represented by a union, to determine terms of employment.
Solidarity Strike: A strike initiated by one group of workers to support the demands or actions of another group of workers, often in a different company or industry.