Tesla is said to have engaged a public relations firm to keep track of their staff’s social media activities, particularly on Facebook. This happened between 2017 and 2018. Some employees at the company’s Fermont, California, facility attempted to form a labor union.
Two things that MWW PR watched closely were discussions alleging unfair labor practices at Tesla, and about a sexual harassment lawsuit, according to the documents describing their work. The PR firm monitored the social media platform “for commentary on organizing efforts, and to conduct research specifically on organizers, going on to develop labor communication plans, media lists, and pitches based on their reconnaissance,” CNBC said.
Responding to the report, the PR firm told CNBC that it “consulted with Tesla in 2017-2018 on a broad employee communications engagement during a period of rapid growth at the company.” The firm said, “It is a common practice to review media coverage and public social conversation about a company to gain insights into issues and perceptions of stakeholders about the brand.”
The new policy prohibits accessing subordinates’ social media profiles
The documents revealing Tesla’s online surveillance of staff are old. However, they have new relevance for observers interested in learning more about CEO Elon Musk’s social media goals. Musk has agreed to pay $44 billion for Twitter. He has used it for years to promote his businesses and insult or disparage perceived foes. If the agreement gets a green signal, he will take over as acting CEO of Twitter.
Musk has been a fierce critic of labor union formation. He has been in frequent clashes with Democrats and Vice President Joe Biden on their pro-labor attitude. Tesla sacked a union activist, Richard Ortiz, in 2017. Musk’s statement was found to be illegal under federal labor rules in 2018. The National Labour Relations Board ordered the firm to bring back Ortiz. They also wanted Musk to delete a tweet that they claimed jeopardized workers’ compensation. Tesla has filed an appeal against the administrative court’s decision, but his tweet is still available.
Tesla’s current communications policy states that managers must only access subordinates’ social media profiles if they have a legitimate business reason to do so. Employees are also should refrain from discussing work-related difficulties on social media as a result of the policy.
