Tesla Shareholders Urged to Vote on Child Labor, Elon Musk Compensation and More

04 Nov 2025Tesla Shareholders Urged to Vote on Child Labor, Elon Musk Compensation and More

Washington, D.C. - The National Center for Public Policy Research is urging Tesla, Inc. shareholders to make their voices heard this week by voting their proxy ballots before Thursday's annual shareholder meeting. The National Center recommends investors support its own proposal on child labor, two proposals regarding executive compensation and several proposals put forward by organizations with whom the Center is not typically aligned.

Support Proposal #9: Shareholder Proposal Requesting a Child Labor Audit

The National Center's Free Enterprise Project (FEP) urges shareholders to vote FOR Proposal #9, its shareholder resolution calling upon Tesla to issue a report on whether and to what extent child labor is implicated in Tesla's supply chain.

Tesla's opposition statement relies heavily on stated policies, but "policies are not the same as proof," said FEP Executive Director Stefan Padfield.

"Our proposal is not anti-Tesla-it's pro-transparency and pro-shareholder," said Padfield. "Tesla is a global leader in innovation, but true leadership also demands verified accountability. Policies against child labor are commendable, but they are not proof. Shareholders deserve evidence."

When he presents Proposal #9 on Thursday, Padfield will say:

While Tesla's own 2024 Impact Report notes that the company "invested more human and legal resources than ever before to combat forced and child labor," it provides no metrics showing whether those investments are working.

Shareholders deserve data-not just assurances. We're asking Tesla to back its admirable words with verifiable results, through a third-party audit or a transparent report.

Support Proposals #3 & #4 Regarding Executive Compensation

In addition to Proposal #9, FEP recommends voting for Tesla's executive compensation proposals, which have been the subject of much debate.

Proposal #3, Tesla Proposal for Approval of the A&R 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, "resolves uncertainty from past litigation while honoring shareholders' prior approval of Musk's 2018 award-without giving him more than was originally earned," says Padfield.

Proposal #4, Tesla Proposal for Approval of the 2025 CEO Performance Award, "means Musk earns nothing unless he creates trillions of dollars in new value for shareholders-performance, not promises," says Padfield. "It's a bold, pay-for-performance structure that ties Musk's rewards entirely to Tesla's success over the next decade."

Support Proposals Backing Shareholder Voice-Even Across Usual Divides

In what may be perceived as an unusual move, FEP is also supporting shareholder proposals filed by proponents with whom the organization is not typically aligned, due to issue-specific agreement on the important role of shareholder voice in efficient corporate governance. Good proposals are just good proposals, no matter their source.

A full list of these voting recommendations can be found on Proxy Navigator, FEP's proxy-voting app that is available both for download and to peruse online.

About

The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a non-partisan, free-market, independent conservative think-tank. Ninety-four percent of its support comes from individuals, less than four percent from foundations and less than two percent from corporations. It receives over 350,000 individual contributions a year from over 60,000 active recent contributors.

FEP, the original and premier opponent of the woke takeover of American corporate life, aims to push corporations to respect their fiduciary obligations and to stay out of political and social engineering. More information about these proposals can be found in FEP's mobile and web app, ProxyNavigator.

Contributions are tax-deductible and may be earmarked for the Free Enterprise Project. Sign up for email updates here. Follow us on X (Twitter) at @FreeEntProject and @NationalCenter for general announcements. To be alerted to upcoming media appearances by National Center staff, follow our media appearances X account at @NCPPRMedia.