There has been a lot of talk recently regarding the Tesla company headed by the American billionaire Elon Musk, following the controversy over reducing the number of employees, documents and documents revealed that Musk was spying on his employees on the social networking site Facebook.
Invoices and other documents linked to a consulting firm called MWW PR show that Tesla hired the PR firm to monitor employees on Facebook in 2017 and 2018, as some workers sought to form a union at Tesla’s California plant.
The company kept a close eye on two key things it claims, namely the discussions alleging unfair labor practices at Tesla, and an allegation of sexual harassment, according to documents describing its work.
While the records confirm Tesla has monitored employees online for a long time, they hold new significance for observers seeking a greater understanding of CEO Elon Musk’s social media priorities.
The records showed that Tesla paid MWW to monitor a Facebook group belonging to its employees, and specifically research the regulators and their plans, according to CNBC.
Tesla Communications Manager
Meanwhile, Tesla’s director of communications at the time, Dave Arnold, had a close relationship with the PR and consulting firm the automaker had hired to do the work.
Arnold served MWW for approximately 4 years from 2011 to 2015 as Vice President, following serving as Director of Communications for a former representative.
A MWW PR spokesperson told CNBC that the company held consultations with Tesla in 2017 and 2018 regarding employee communications during the company’s rapid growth period. “It is a common practice to review media coverage and general social conversations regarding a company to gain insights into issues and stakeholders’ perceptions of the brand,” she explained.
Tense relationship with union supporters
It is noteworthy that that period saw Tesla and its CEO clash with union supporters for years. In 2017, Tesla fired a union activist named Richard Ortiz, and in 2018, Musk tweeted a comment that he found violated federal labor laws.
The National Labor Relations Board ordered Tesla to reinstate Ortiz and for Musk to delete his tweet, which they said threatens workers compensation.