While I get their unease.... moves like this in a Globalized economy (supported by most Unions) might just prompt Tesla (or any other) to find an overseas shop to do this work for them. It's really a lose-lose for them, in my view. They may buy themselves some temporary "relief" but it'll accelerate business propensity to find more economical alternatives.
Yes and ultimately they will reduce the headcount to a fraction of current size since autolabeling will work in most scenarios. To my knowledge this has already happened… labelers now are tagging new scenarios for the autolabeler to grok for future learning passes.
I don't live or been to Western Upstate NY... but I get the feeling their mindset is still pre-80s union and have a hard time realizing the realities of working in technology or technology adjacent industries. You cannot capture an industry. If you make doing business with them more difficult than necessary, they will seek friendlier terms elsewhere. And it's a shame, Buffalo deserves a chance to integrate into the modern economy so they should take advantage of these toe-holds to attract more industry interest to the area.
How would that work? Threaten to go on strike if they're replaced? Tesla would likely tell them to go ahead and just implement the automation. Seems like the only way this works is if there is a much larger union for all employees and the union wants to protect these jobs as part of keeping itself as large as possible.
Let me rephrase, it either ensures their jobs stick around (perhaps doing a different function?) or that they will receive well above industry average severance.
There’s no point in unionizing unless that leverage equals some sort of compensation down the road.