US senators have taken it to their hands to call out the chief executive of one of the most famous electric vehicle companies in the world, Tesla, for their resorting to "arbitration clauses" that allow the company to get away from complaints. The senators have sent a letter to Elon Musk which details their complaints, demanding a statement or response from him that would answer these issues.
The senators cited that many employees complain about the workplace, alongside the Autopilot lawsuits where users have cited the company's misleading campaign of its safety based on reviews.
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US Senators Call Out Musk for Tesla's Arbitration for Employee Complaints
Seven US senators have signed a letter that was addressed to Elon Musk, detailing the complaints against his company, Tesla, that centers on multiple issues against the company. The undersigned include Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Edward Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Jeffrey Merkley, Sen. Richard Durbin, Sen. Bernard Sanders, and Sen. Sherrod Brown.
The complaints are compelling Musk to release a statement regarding the operations at Tesla, centering on employee discrimination in different situations.
One complaint cited by the senators center on racial discrimination against black employees of the company, with supervisors using racial slurs and graffiti to send a hateful message. Another claim is that female employees in the company are experiencing harassment and gender discrimination.
"Tesla's confidential arbitration agreements-which appear to be mandatory for workers-significantly limit the extent to which the details of discriminatory conditions at the company may come to light," the senators wrote.
As per the lawmakers, Tesla's arbitration clauses have impeded these complaints from workers.
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Autopilot Reviews and Customer Lawsuits Also Face This Move
According to Ars Technica, the senators also mentioned the company's autonomous driving features, and went as far as to call it a "sham."
The senators are also claiming that there is consumer arbitration from within, with Tesla's safety reviews from the regulatory board being misleading or not as transparent to the public regarding its cars' capabilities.
Tesla and the Many Scrutinies it Faces Now
"You win some, you lose some," this is the state of Tesla now as it faces many complaints regarding its self-driving features including the Autopilot, with many users raising their problems with the company in court. In one incident, Tesla won a lawsuit that claims its Autopilot is the culprit that led to serious injuries to the victim, Justin Hsu with their Model S.
Amidst the many complaints against the company's allegedly flawed driving system, the Tesla CEO still promises autonomy for its cars that would improve its technology. In his promise, this autonomous feature would arrive by 2023 for Tesla, giving drivers a chance to experience a higher level of self-driving features to arrive, speculated as Level 4 or 5 autonomy.
Cases and complaints are still piling up against Tesla, and this is not only for the company's autonomous driving systems which sees many claims of fraud or misleading the public. The US senators have also raised the issues that employees have against the company, one that centers on workplace discrimination, where its chief is yet to release a statement.
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