And Elon Musk's reputation swirls further down the crapper...

[catbyte]

Link to tweet

Tesla is threatening that workers could lose unemployment benefits if they don't return to work in defiance of the public health orders.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk could take home a $700M bonus, despite publicly breaking the law.

It's socialism for the rich, capitalism for workers.

[LizBeth]

1. Telling them to go back to work, against law and their safety and life. Ya. My son used

to love the guy. I tried to see the good but the last couple years I have seen a lot of petty, and tantrum and privilege.

[Moostache]

2. Text book example of why billionaires need not exist, period.

Musk is gone off the reservation for a while now, but this latest stunt and threatening workers? FUCK YOU ELON...being an uber-rich douchebag is so 2005, too.

Scratch a Tesla from the list of products that I would ever support (but given the pricing on those things anyway, it is more symbolic than real)...

[ragemage]

3. I love the innovation that Tesla and SpaceX are doing

They are truly innovators in their fields and will help move mankind forward...if only their CEO could shut the hell up and let the companies run as they are supposed to - or not run due to a fucking pandemic in the country that jeopardizes the health and safety of his workers and their families. Seriously Elon WTF? You are very intelligent but seem to lack common sense and empathy. Grow the hell up.

[wcmagumba]

4. He seems to be another...

"saying this in a nice way" selfish rich entitled JERK!

[stopbush]

5. Why would workers lose their unemployment if they obeyed the law in defiance

of Tesla?

[SoCalNative]

6. Because in CA

though administered by the state, unemployment benefits are actually paid by the employers. I'm sure that you could fight it but....

[stopbush]

8. Not exactly true. UI is funded by a TAX imposed on employers by the state.

Like any other tax assessed and collected by the state, those paying the tax have no say in how that money is spent, nor do they have any say in the laws written to govern the program, anymore than a retail store has say over how the sales tax they collect for the state is spent, anymore than voters have a say in how the money collected through income taxes is spent by the government.

And, the state - not the employers - determine how much tax an employer needs to pay for each employee on their payroll.

BTW - it works the same in all 50 states.

See here: https://www.edd.ca.gov/pdf_pub_ctr/de8714b.pdf

[catbyte]

10. Could he say they essentially quit which would render them ineligible for unemployment?

[stopbush]

13. That puts Musk in direct conflict with the state law that he is breaking.

How can the employee be quitting when they are electing to NOT break the law while Musk is breaking the law by reopening?

[SeattleVet]

16. The state would allow his company to reopen...it's the county that's more strict.

Since UI is a state entity, Musk can claim that they could go back to work, but won't, and are thus ineligible. Sort of like what Georgia and other red 'reopen' states are pulling.

The way the state defined it, local governmental entities do have the power to make things tighter, so I don't think that Musk can force them back under this threat, since the workers are in compliance with the rules set by the county.

[genxlib]

7. Seems like an easy lawsuit waiting to happen

You can't get fired for obeying the law.

Wrongful termination with back wages and damages.

Legal people? Am I missing something?

[uponit7771]

9. +1, along with NEA after a protected action of complaining about OSHA violations. Sounds like ...

... needless litigious pain in the ass for everyone.

Not wanting a Tesla after this, took the steam out for me.

Mush sounds like an asshole, I didn't know that ... wasn't payin attention to him

[catbyte]

11. He's also been blathering about how CV-19 protections amount to "fascism."

Total BS.

[uponit7771]

12. Heard that, there's something wrong with this cat

[CentralMass]

14. He sounds like he is a narcissist.

https://qz.com/1561985/elon-musk-may-not-be-the-narcissist-tesla-needs-right-now/

[UTUSN]

15. K&R

[Cicada]

17. Musk's logic is based on falsehoods

Musk has cited as facts things which are likely false, downplaying the health risks. Based on such falsehoods Musk predicted in mid March that covid deaths in the US would fall to zero by the end of April. Such a blunder should have made Musk question his assumptions but it didn’t. From Musk’s false belief that the virus is not dangerous his decisions make sense. But based on more realistic assumptions he is dangerous.