Tesla's Musk says ready for arrest as he reopens
California plant against local order
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[May 12, 2020] By
Tina Bellon
(Reuters) - Tesla Inc <TSLA.O> Chief
Executive Elon Musk on Monday said production was resuming at the
automaker's sole U.S. vehicle factory, in California, defying an order
to stay closed and saying if anyone had to be arrested it should be him.
The move comes as states and cities around the United States experiment
with ways to safely reopen their economies after the coronavirus
outbreak shuttered businesses and forced tens of millions of Americans
out of work.
Musk over the weekend threatened to leave California for Texas or Nevada
over his factory's closure. His move has highlighted the competition for
jobs and ignited a rush to woo the billionaire executive by states that
have reopened their economies more quickly in response to encouragement
from U.S. President Donald Trump.
In an email on Monday, Tesla referred to an order on Thursday by
California's governor allowing manufacturers to resume operations and
said that as of Sunday, previously furloughed employees were back to
their regular employment status.
"We're happy to get back to work and have implemented very detailed
plans to help you keep safe as you return," according to the email seen
by Reuters and titled "Furlough Has Ended And We Are Back To Work in
Production!"
Musk in a tweet said production was resuming on Monday, adding that he
would join workers on the assembly line. "If anyone is arrested, I ask
that it only be me," he wrote.
Health officials in Alameda County, where the Fremont factory is based,
late on Monday said they were aware that Tesla had opened beyond the
so-called minimum basic operations allowed during lockdown, and had
notified the company it could not operate without a county-approved
plan.
In a statement, officials said they expected a proposal from Tesla later
on Monday and "hope Tesla will likewise comply without further
enforcement measures." The statement did not specify consequences and
said officials would not comment further.
The county's lockdown order says violations are punishable by fine,
imprisonment or both.
A spokeswoman for the Fremont Police Department on Monday said her
office was enforcing the lockdown order at the direction of the health
department and had been advised that the county is working with Tesla
directly.
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A car carrier trailer carrying Tesla electric vehicles departs
Tesla's primary vehicle factory after CEO Elon Musk announced he was
defying local officials' coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions
by reopening the plant in Fremont, California, U.S. May 11, 2020.
REUTERS/Stephen Lam
Separately on Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said California
should do whatever is necessary to help the electric carmaker reopen its only
U.S. vehicle factory if it wants to keep the company in its state.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday said he spoke to Musk several days
ago and that the Tesla founder’s concerns helped prompt the state to begin its
phased reopening of manufacturing last week.
“I have not only known that company but I have known its founder for many, many
years,” Newsom said in his daily coronavirus press briefing. “I have great
reverence for their technology, for their innovative spirit, for their
leadership.”
Tesla, which also has a vehicle plant in Shanghai and is building another in
Berlin, on Saturday sued the county, alleging it had violated California's
constitution by defying Newsom's orders allowing manufacturers to reopen.
Musk has discussed opening a second U.S. factory outside California in the past.
In a tweet in February, he solicited comments on potentially opening a factory
in Texas.
Since his threat to leave California on Saturday, officials from Texas, Georgia,
Utah, Oklahoma and Nevada have reached out to Musk on Twitter, encouraging him
to relocate to their state.
A Texas official said his county was available immediately to accommodate Tesla
and invited the billionaire CEO for a visit.
"We have a motivated, pro-business governor," Richard Cortez, county judge of
Texas' Hidalgo County, said on Monday. "What we no longer have is a shelter at
home mandate."
Musk in response tweeted: "Note is much appreciated."
(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York; Additional reporting by Sharon Bernstein
in Sacramento, Peter Henderson in Oakland and Brad Brooks in Austin; Editing by
Richard Chang, Dan Grebler and Stephen Coates)
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