Race, unions and the Fremont factory

Owen Diaz, a Black elevator operator who worked at Fremont through a contractor, said he faced slurs and racist graffiti. A jury awarded him $137 million in 2021; a judge cut it, and a second jury in 2023 awarded $3.2 million. The case settled in March 2024 for an undisclosed sum. [1]

In February 2022 California’s civil-rights agency sued Tesla, alleging widespread harassment and discrimination against Black workers. Tesla called the suit misguided and pointed to its policies. The case went to a bench trial in September 2026, with the state still filing briefs in October. [2][4][5]

The EEOC sued in September 2023, alleging racial harassment and retaliation. In its mid-2026 quarterly filing, Tesla said it would defend itself. [3][6]

In 2018 Musk tweeted that nothing stopped Tesla workers from voting for a union, but asked why they would pay union dues and give up stock options. The National Labor Relations Board found this an unlawful threat and ordered the tweet deleted and a fired union organizer reinstated. In 2024 the full Fifth Circuit vacated the order and sent the reinstatement issue back to the board. [1]