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Tesla could have union board ruling stating it violated worker’s rights overturned

A Tesla employee at the company's facility in Fremont, California. (Credit: YouTube/RoadShow)

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Tesla could have a ruling from a labor board that claimed the automaker violated the rights of factory workers by not allowing them to wear pro-union t-shirts.

On Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in New Orleans had lawyers for Tesla and from the NLRB and UAW present to question them about whether the automaker infringed on worker rights to promote the enactment of a union.

Tesla allowed union stickers and other small items, but t-shirts were not allowed because they did not align with the company dress code.

Last August, we reported on the dress code, which is set by Tesla to promote safety and help with quality control. The NLRB voted last year in a vote that finished 3-2 that Tesla was officially in violation of labor rules by upholding the dress code.

The agency said there were no “special circumstances” warranting restrictions on union clothing, which the NLRB said violated the policy.

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Judges for the 5th Circuit, however, said that Tesla may not have been required to prove special circumstances because not all pro-union merchandise was prohibited. Workers were allowed to have stickers and other pro-union insignia, Reuters said.

Circuit Judge Jerry Smith asked the NLRB’s lawyer, Micah Jost:

“A sticker says ‘go union,’ ‘union is good’ or whatever. In what way is that an insufficient means of communication?”

Another Circuit Judge, Stephen Higginson, also said that employers are not required to allow all union-related apparel. Tesla didn’t allow t-shirts because of safety reasons, as we previously reported.

Higginson said that Tesla is doing that, and if uniforms are required, the company still must allow employees to express pro-union viewpoints. “The record suggests that they are,” Higginson added.

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Michael Kenneally, Tesla’s lawyer from the firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius, said, “There hasn’t been a meaningful infringement on employees’ ability to communicate their support for the union.”

Tesla seems primed to come out on top if the ruling is potentially released.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD) is nearing approval in a new country

As per the official, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system could be enabled in Israel in the near future.

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Credit: @BLKMDL3/X

It appears that Tesla FSD (Supervised) is heading to a new country soon, at least based on comments from Israel’s Transport and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev.

As per the official, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system could be enabled in Israel in the near future.

Israeli drivers are pushing for FSD rollout

While Tesla’s FSD is already operational in markets like the U.S., Canada, and Australia, Israeli owners have long been unable to use the feature due to regulatory barriers. Despite its premium price tag, however, numerous Tesla owners in Israel have noted that the technology’s safety benefits, at least when approved for real-world use in the country, justify its cost. 

It was then no surprise that nearly 1,000 Tesla owners in Israel have already petitioned the government to greenlight FSD’s domestic release in Israel. In a post on X, Regev seemed to confirm that FSD is indeed coming to Israel. “I’ve received the many referrals from Tesla drivers in Israel! Tesla drivers? Soon you won’t need to hold the steering wheel,” she wrote in her post.

FSD’s regulatory support in Israel

Regev stated that her Ministry views promoting innovative technologies as essential to improving both road safety and smart mobility. A working group led by Moshe Ben-Zaken, Director General of the Ministry of Transportation has reportedly been tasked to finalize the approval process, coordinating with regulatory and safety agencies to ensure compliance with international standards.

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In a comment to Geektime, Israel’s Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety noted that Regev is indeed supporting the release of FSD in the country. “Minister Regev sees great importance in promoting innovative technologies, and in particular in the entry of advanced driving systems (FSD) into the Israeli market, as part of the ministry’s policy to encourage innovation, safety, and smart transportation,” the Ministry stated.

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Investor's Corner

Bank of America raises Tesla PT to $471, citing Robotaxi and Optimus potential

The firm also kept a Neutral rating on the electric vehicle maker, citing strong progress in autonomy and robotics.

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Credit: Tesla

Bank of America has raised its Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target by 38% to $471, up from $341 per share.

The firm also kept a Neutral rating on the electric vehicle maker, citing strong progress in autonomy and robotics.

Robotaxi and Optimus momentum

Bank of America analyst Federico Merendi noted that the firm’s price target increase reflects Tesla’s growing potential in its Robotaxi and Optimus programs, among other factors. BofA’s updated valuation is based on a sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) model extending through 2040, which shows the Robotaxi platform accounting for 45% of total value. The model also shows Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus contributing 19%, and Full Self-Driving (FSD) and the Energy segment adding 17% and 6% respectively.

“Overall, we find that TSLA’s core automotive business represents around 12% of the total value while robotaxi is 45%, FSD is 17%, Energy Generation & Storage is around 6% and Optimus is 19%,” the Bank of America analyst noted.

Still a Neutral rating

Despite recognizing long-term potential in AI-driven verticals, Merendi’s team maintained a Neutral rating, suggesting that much of the optimism is already priced into Tesla’s valuation. 

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“Our PO revision is driven by a lower cost of equity capital, better Robotaxi progress, and a higher valuation for Optimus to account for the potential entrance into international markets,” the analyst stated.

Interestingly enough, Tesla’s core automotive business, which contributes the lion’s share of the company’s operations today, represents just 12% of total value in BofA’s model.

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Tesla Model Y on FSD saves couple after encountering King of edge cases

Experts have noted that if confirmed, this could be the world’s first recorded meteorite collision involving a Tesla.

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Credit: @10NewsAU/YouTube

A South Australian Tesla driver is thanking his Model Y’s Full Self-Driving system after a mysterious object, possibly a meteorite, slammed into his car’s windshield while it had FSD engaged. 

The impact sent hot glass fragments flying through the cabin as the vehicle continued driving without human input through the darkness. Experts have noted that if confirmed, this could be the world’s first recorded meteorite collision involving a Tesla.

The Tesla owner was enjoying a quiet drive home when they hit the king of edge cases

Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Melville-Smith and his wife were traveling north on Augusta Highway on the night of October 19 when a sudden blast struck their newly delivered Model Y. At the time, it was clear, pitch black night, and Dr. Melville-Smith and his wife were just listening to a podcast while FSD was operating the vehicle, as noted in a Yahoo News report. 

Suddenly, something hit the Tesla’s windshield. “Then there was, (what) I can only describe as a very, very violent explosion. The whole inside of the car was literally blasted with glass fragments. It was full of white smoke, and it smelled like the car was on fire,” Dr. Melville-Smith stated. 

The vet stated that he and his wife were stunned for a good 10 seconds, and for a bit, he and his wife thought they had crashed. Images of the crash’s aftermath showed a massive crack on the Tesla’s windshield, which Dr. Melville-Smith noted was hot to the touch. The object that hit the Tesla’s windshield was so hot that part of the vehicle’s windshield was partly melted. 

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FSD kept driving despite the possible meteorite strike

Thankfully, the Tesla was operating with its FSD (Supervised) system engaged at the time. Thus, despite the vehicle being hit by what might be a literal meteorite, and despite Dr. Melville-Smith and his wife being stunned because of the impact, their Tesla just kept driving steadily. 

“I thought we’d had an accident, but then I looked at the screen and went ‘Oh, we’re still driving. We were moving around, so it obviously thought we were paying attention, and it was happy to keep driving to Port Augusta. After we pulled over, we saw the big crater in the windscreen,” the vet said. 

The South Australian Museum is now examining the case, with geologist Dr. Kieran Meaney stating the scorched glass and heat damage do suggest a potential meteorite strike. “The little detail that’s really selling it for me at the moment is that whatever it was that hit the windscreen seems to have been very hot,” Meaney explained. However, the object has yet to be recovered.

Check out a video of the remarkable edge case below.

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