Tesla workers launch unionization campaign in New York

State of play: The workers hope to reach an agreement that results in better wages, job security, a say in workplace decision making, and a reduction in monitoring and production pressures, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news.

• Workers at the Buffalo plant told Bloomberg that Tesla tracks their computer keystrokes to monitor how they work, prompting some employees to refrain from taking bathroom breaks.
• The Tesla workers are organizing with the Workers United labor union, which has helped unionize hundreds of Starbucks cafes across the country.

In a letter to management Tuesday, the workers wrote that unionizing would "further accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy, because it will give us a voice in our workplace and in the goals we set for ourselves to accomplish."

• The letter urged the company to sign the Fair Election Principles, which would prevent Tesla from retaliating against workers for organizing a union, per Reuters.
• On Tuesday, employees at the plant planned to distribute valentine-themed leaflets with links to a website where employees could sign union cards, per Bloomberg.

What they're saying: "People are tired of being treated like robots," Al Celli, a member of the union's organizing committee, told Bloomberg.

• "I want a voice with my company — we don’t really have one," Sara Costantino, an employee at the Buffalo plant, told Bloomberg.

The big picture: Musk has been vocal about his opposition to unions in the past.

• The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against Tesla in 2017 following allegations that it was intimidating employees who wanted to unionize.
• Past unionization efforts by Tesla workers — in 2017 and 2018 — failed to come to fruition, per Bloomberg.