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Tesla Faces Lawsuit For Racial Harassment In Its Factories (mercurynews.com)

Three former Tesla factory workers have filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming they were subject to constant racial discrimination and harassment in the electric car company's factories. "The men, who are African-American, claim in a new complaint filed Monday in state court that Tesla supervisors and workers used racial epithets and drew racist graffiti on cardboard boxes," reports The Mercury News. From the report: The new suit is the second by black employees charging Tesla failed to address racial antagonism at its factory. The electric vehicle maker also has a hearing before the National Labor Relations Board over claims it illegally tried to silence workers promoting a union. The complaints come as the Tesla heads into a crucial ramp-up of Model 3 production, its lower-cost electric vehicle. A Tesla spokesman denied the suit's allegations and said the men never raised the complaints to the company during their brief time at the plant. "Given our size, we recognize that unfortunately at times there will be cases of harassment or discrimination in corners of the company," the spokesman said. "From what we know so far, this does not seem to be such a case." The suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, claims Owen Diaz and his son, Demetric, were called the N-word while they worked at the Fremont factory, and supervisors did little to stop it. A third man, Lamar Patterson, also claims he was subjected to insensitive racist remarks.

4 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Unacceptable by ClickOnThis · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If there has been a formal complaint that got ignored, there'd be a pretty clear case.

    From TFA:

    Demetric Diaz complained about the regular use of epithets to the staffing agency and another supervisor, the suit said. The supervisor told him he was just a replaceable temporary worker. Diaz was dismissed less than a week later in October 2015.

    Owen Diaz continued to work as an elevator operator. But over time, the suit claimed, the harassment grew worse. A co-worker regularly used the N-word. Diaz found an offensive “pickaninny” cartoon with the caption “Boo!” drawn on a bale of cardboard.

    Owen Diaz also got into a heated argument with the supervisor who drew the cartoon, the suit said. He complained about the incident, and started to receive poor work evaluations. Diaz left Tesla around May 2016.

    I'm not sure what you definition is of a "formal" complaint, but the employees own stories indicate that supervisors were aware of the harassment, and even took part in it. This despite the complaints to other supervisors and the employment agency.

    Missing in all of this is Tesla's policy for reporting such behavior in a way that it does not jeopardize the reporter's position in the company. Anyone care to share that?

    Even so, it seems implausible that nobody in middle management or upwards knew this was going on.

    --
    If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
  2. Re:Unacceptable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You're more right then you know. They are complaining about stuff that happened in 2015. It LITERALLY happened under Obama.

  3. Re: Unacceptable by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You have obviously never worked with Asian people. If you want to hear racism, learn a bit of Chinese or Hindi.

    I know some Mandarin, and the worst I have heard is "heiren" which just means "black person". But what is often surprising to Americans is the total lack of "political correctness" in China. They will come right out and say "I don't like black people" even to strangers. I remember seeing this commercial when I lived in Shanghai. I thought it was hilariously offensive, but Chinese people didn't see anything wrong with it.

  4. Re:Unacceptable by geekymachoman · · Score: 1, Interesting

    > Are these facts, or is someone looking for a payday?

    Neither. It's the Russian agents. Dividing America, in an effort to further alienate Americans from each other, and then take away your freedom without resisting. After that they'll just go home and laugh, loudly, as they've achieved their purpose in this life.