Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2020-12-07)

B U S I N E S S

11

15

PHOTO

ILLUSTRATION

BY

731

● The Teslabosshaswon

over manyGermans,butlabor

senses agrowingthreat

As Tesla Inc. buildsitsfirstEuropeancarfactory,

in a patch of forestoutsideBerlin,ElonMuskhas

been on a relentlesscharmoffensive.He’spledged

to create thousandsofjobs;hetweetsinsurprisingly

good German; andata Septembereventhedonned

a heavy cord vestandwide-brimmedblackfelthat

like those traditionallywornbylocalcraftspeople.

The messagehasbeenwarmlyreceived,withpol-

iticians fast-trackingapprovalsforthefactoryand

locals clamoringforjobsina regionthatstruggles

toattractinvestment.OnNov.30,theTeslachief

executiveofficerswoopedintotheGermancapital

forthethirdtimeinasmanymonthstoacceptan

awardforhisentrepreneurialachievementsfrom

thepublisheroftheinfluentialBildtabloid.

Butthere’sonecorneroftheGermaneconomy

wherethelovefestfeelsmorelikea standoff:the

2.3million-memberIGMetalllaborunion.The

groupis ona collisioncoursewiththebillionaire

thatthreatenstoeitherundermineMusk’sambi-

tionsordiminishthepowerofanorganizationthat’s

longhadanoutsizeroleinthecountry’sautoindus-

trywithitsdemandsforbetterwagesandshiftsin

strategy, backed up by the very real threat of strikes.

The conflict centers on Tesla’s refusal to sign

the kind of collective wage agreements that are

Edited by

James E. Ellis and

David Rocks

Musk’s German

Charm Offensive