Tesla ends Sweden’s longest strike by buying out remaining workers

Tesla just ended the longest modern strike in Swedish history the same way Elon Musk tends to end most problems: by writing checks instead of signing contracts. After 1,021 days of industrial action, Tesla announced on August 13 that it had offered severance packages to the roughly 80 remaining IF Metall union members at its Swedish service operations. The union suspended all industrial action as of August 19, and no collective agreement was signed. Tesla’s stock rose approximately 4% on the news. How a service center dispute became a national standoff The strike began on October 27, 2023, when IF Metall, one of Sweden’s largest industrial unions, walked out over Tesla’s refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement. In Sweden, collective agreements aren’t legally required, but they’re the norm. Roughly 90% of Swedish workers are covered by one. What started as a walkout by a small group of service technicians quickly escalated into something much larger. Sympathy strikes from other Swedish unions created a web of pressure: dockworkers refused to unload Tesla vehicles, postal workers declined to deliver Tesla’s mail, and electricians wouldn’t service the company’s charging infr...