NLRB says SpaceX Employees were Illegally Fired After Criticizing Elon Musk's Tweets

Elon Musk's SpaceX is reportedly under fire as the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint stating the rocket and satellite maker has illegally terminated eight employees, after criticizing its Chief Executive Officer's (CEO) several tweets.

Reuters reports that the employees circulated an open letter dated June 2022 to SpaceX officials addressing a number of sexually provocative tweets that Musk had sent since 2020. The workers demanded that SpaceX denounce Musk's remarks since such statements were misaligned with the company's regulations regarding diversity and workplace misbehavior.

The letter reportedly stated that the employees are frequently distracted and embarrassed by Elon Musk's public actions, especially in the last several weeks, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It also states that according to the NLRB's spokesperson Kayla Blado, the complaint alleges SpaceX management allegedly threatened to fire employees if they took part in collective action, informed workers they had fired them due to their open letter, and prohibited others from sharing it.

According to Ars Technica, SpaceX promptly fired the workers with its President Gwynne Shotwell sending an email to the company's remaining employees after the firing that the letter, solicitations, and overall procedure had caused the workers to feel uneasy, threatened, or abused because the letter had forced them to sign a document that did not align with their opinions.

NLRB's Complaint

NLRB's complaint reportedly calls for the workers' reinstatement, back pay, and letters of apologies to the dismissed workers. A hearing before an NLRB administrative law judge is scheduled to begin on March 5th, should SpaceX fail to reach a settlement about the charges.

It adds that according to a press release from the law firm representing the fired employees, the NLRB complaint accuses 37 labor law violations, including coercive statements, implied threats, unlawful instructions, interrogation, giving the impression of surveillance, and retaliation for taking part in protected concerted activity.

Reuters also adds that in the event that SpaceX is found to have broken the law, it may be subject to harsher sanctions in subsequent board cases.

Past Labor Cases Against Musk's Companies

Los Angeles Times adds that despite Musk's self-professed "free speech absolutism," the US government has charged his businesses several times with attempting to stifle employees.

SpaceX reportedly resolved a lawsuit alleging that it unlawfully attempted to silence an employee's speech last year. Elon Musk's social network business X also reached a settlement with a former worker who, according to an NLRB regional director, was wrongfully terminated for opposing a rule for employees to return to the office.

Additionally, NLRB members found that Musk's Tesla Inc. unlawfully dismissed an activist and that Musk intimidated employees on social media; Tesla is filing an appeal with a federal court.

A separate Reuters report proves to echo this notion as more than 600 SpaceX injuries that Reuters was able to uncover is stated to be unreported, including injuries such as crushed limbs, electrocution, brain injuries, and one fatality.