AUSTIN, Texas — Some of the workers who helped construct the sprawling Gigafactory Texas automotive facility near Austin, Texas, allege nonpayment by subcontractors and workplace safety violations.
The complaints were filed with the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration earlier this week by Workers Defense Project, a Texas-based nonprofit.
According to one complaint, a few employees did not receive any payment for work performed, and some did not receive overtime pay for work over 40 hours a week. Some construction workers said they were promised a non-discretionary double pay bonus for working Thursday-Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend 2021, but never received the bonus.
Another complaint alleges a worker was given phony OSHA certificates in order to perform work without being made to undergo the training needed to be given genuine certificates.
That worker, according to the complaint, knows of other workers who received fake certificates and says he has evidence supporting the allegations.
The Workers Defense Fund in a tweet said it anticipates a full investigation by the federal government.
Last year, Tesla was ordered to pay early $137 million to a Black former worker who said he suffered racial abuse at the electric carmaker’s San Francisco Bay Area factory.
Construction on Gigafactory Texas began in July 2020. In addition to serving as Tesla headquarters, the Model Y is produced at the facility. Plans call for it to be the main factory for the Tesla Cybertruck and Tesla Semi.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.