The United Auto Workers (UAW) has set its sights on Tesla, announcing a campaign this week to unionize the renowned electric car maker and a dozen other non-unionized companies in the automotive industry. The move comes on the heels of the UAW's recent victories against the Big Three U.S. auto companies, leading to improved wages, benefits, and workers' rights.

In its statement, the UAW pointed out that Tesla CEO Elon Musk, currently the world's richest man, has seen the company's sales booming. They questioned whether Tesla workers are receiving their fair share of the success.

However, this unionization push is expected to be a challenging battle, as Musk has openly expressed his hostility toward unions and the UAW. The Tesla CEO is embroiled in a legal case over a 2018 tweet in which he suggested that workers would lose their stock options if they unionized. Despite the UAW's efforts, Tesla has yet to respond to requests for comment on the union push or criticisms of the company.

The treatment of Tesla workers has come under scrutiny in recent years, with various regulatory and legal actions being brought forward. Reports by journalists have highlighted dangerous working conditions, and in California, the civil rights regulator sued Tesla last year, accusing the company of paying Black workers less, denying them advancements, and subjecting them to racial abuse. Tesla has dismissed such reports as mere propaganda.

In 2016, an investigation revealed that at least 140 foreign workers on questionable visas had worked on the expansion of Tesla's Fremont plant for as little as $5 an hour. One worker, Gregor Lesnik, was later awarded $550,000 for back wages and injuries suffered in a workplace accident.

Labor expert William Gould, a Stanford Law School emeritus professor, acknowledges that the UAW's push to unionize Tesla will be an uphill battle. He has criticized Musk's approach, stating that the CEO seems to disregard health and safety standards and labor laws enforcement.

Tesla, with over 100,000 workers globally reported last year, holds a market valuation of $750 billion. In 2020, the company generated revenue of $81 billion and a profit of $21 billion.

During a recent interview with The New York Times DealBook, Musk voiced his disagreement with unions, claiming that they create an undesirable "lords and peasants" relationship between factory workers and executives. In 2017, Tesla workers at the Fremont factory expressed their grievances, stating long working hours, low pay, and unsafe conditions, which prompted them to reach out to the UAW for support.

The UAW's previous attempt to unionize Tesla in 2018 was met with resistance from Musk, leading to an ongoing legal case. While Musk claimed to support the freedom to form a union, he also accused the UAW of destroying productivity, hindering a company's ability to compete in the global market.

As the battle for workers' rights intensifies in the automotive industry, the UAW's campaign to unionize Tesla will undoubtedly spark further debates and legal disputes in the coming months.