The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against Detroit's "Big Three" has been going on for more than a day.The strike is part of the UAW's broader fight to protect workers during the transition to clean energy. It is estimated that the electric transformation may lead to the loss of 35,000 automotive jobs. And the most successful new players in electric vehicles, such as Tesla and Rivian, are not unionized.

Regardless of the outcome of the strike, the "Big Three" will certainly spend more money, and any wage increase will further enhance Tesla's huge cost advantage in the field of electric vehicles.

What we really oppose is "new technology harvesting"

As new technologies continue to develop, many companies plan to use new technologies to shift production away from union workers, and it's not just autoworkers who are threatened.

Saying no to "AI harvesting" is the crux of the months-long strike between Hollywood writers and actors and movie studios.

In June, longshoremen at U.S. West Coast ports reported a surge in robots as they renegotiated their employment contracts. At the same time, as the level of aircraft automation increases, US aviation industry unions have also resisted reducing crew members from two to one.

The 88-year-old UAW also experienced other technological changes in its early days, including the adoption of automated production lines in factories in the 1970s.

However, Ian Greer, director of research at Cornell University’s School of Industrial Relations, said:The transition to electric vehicles would be "much more disruptive" to existing jobs, as it would likely eliminate many positions and significantly alter or relocate others.

He added,The UAW "is concerned that autoworkers will pay the price of this transition."

He said: "It's an open question whether the workers who are now making fuel vehicles will be able to move to new jobs, or whether they will have to go through a period of unemployment. These are very important questions for a campaign to make sure people have good jobs."

UAW president: Workers can’t be left behind

The current strike does not cover the Lordstown plant in Ohio, which is operated by Ultium Cells, a joint venture of GM and LG New Energy, to produce batteries for GM's electric vehicles, and its workers are not protected by the same contract.

The UAW criticized Ultium Cells' pay and working conditions. Workers there make less than UAW union workers in Detroit's Big Three, even though they won a $3 to $4 hourly raise last month.

"The battery factory jobs that drive this transition must be as good as, if not better than, the jobs currently making fuel-powered vehicles and their components," the UAW said in a report.

The UAW wants plants like Lordstown to be covered by Detroit's Big Three labor contracts; automakers object. Instead, workers at plants like Lordstown's had to vote to join the UAW, a more cumbersome process.

UAW President Shawn Fain has said repeatedly,The transition to electric vehicles must be a "just transition" with "no workers left behind". Electric vehicles currently account for about 8% of new car sales in the United States.

Musk has won

One thing is clear: Elon Musk has won.

Regardless of the outcome of the strike, the "Big Three" will certainly spend more money, and any wage increase will further enhance Tesla's huge cost advantage in the field of electric vehicles.

In March, Musk revealed that he planned to use his strengths to cut manufacturing costs for Tesla's next-generation cars by 50%, an ambitious goal that will rely on advanced automation, lean engineering and other changes.

Tesla's moves this year suggest it can take advantage of its lower cost structure and compete on price with rivals around the world to boost sales.

In July this year, Tesla reported a 20% increase in second-quarter profits even after price cuts. Around the same time, Ford said it would slow EV production growth due to heavy losses on electric vehicles.

Industry data shows Detroit's "Big Three" labor costs, including wages and benefits, are estimated to average $66 an hour. By comparison, wages at Tesla, a non-unionized company founded 20 years ago, are $45.

Previous analysis said that the wages paid to workers by Detroit's "Big Three" are already 38% higher than Tesla's, and if workers go on strike, this gap may widen further.

Wells Fargo estimates that meeting all of Fein's initial requests would increase Detroit's "Big Three" average hourly labor costs to $136.

Compared with Tesla, what is the difference between UAW workers? stock options

One question is,On the surface, Tesla workers are not paid as well as UAW workers, but why can Tesla workers accept it?

The key reason is stock options.

UAW workers' pay increases have been in the form of profit-sharing bonuses, while Tesla workers receive stock options, which have no direct cash cost to the company. Tesla shares have generally soared over the years, with the company's shares more than doubling this year, although there have been turbulent times.

Musk has said employee stock options make his factory workers among the best-paid workers in the industry, and said a "significant number" of production line workers "have become millionaires through company stock awards over the years."

So far, many analysts expect Detroit's "Big Three" to eventually absorb the increased costs.

But Barclays analyst Dan Levy warned investors in a recent report: "The bigger problem is that this adds increasing pressure on their transition to an electric vehicle world."

Tesla may also be affected in the future

GlaSSDoor estimates that the average hourly wage for technicians at Tesla is between $23 and $32.

Job advertisements posted by Tesla at its California factory show that hourly wages are expected to range from $24 to $67, plus cash, stock awards and other benefits.

On Thursday, Musk again blasted the UAW, boasting that his factory has a "great atmosphere." Musk has spent the last year largely preventing unions from organizing his workers again.

He recently tweeted: "We encourage playing music and having fun. It's so important to give people something to look forward to at work! BTW, our pay is higher than the UAW, but performance expectations are also higher."

Despite this, some analysts believe that no eggs are left intact, and Tesla may also be affected by the strike in the future.

Art Wheaton, a labor expert at Cornell University, said,The UAW's ability to secure higher wages could put pressure on Tesla as it works to reunion.

“I don’t think Elon Musk has that super awesome, shiny glow anymore,” he said.