An official with the National Labor Relations Board filed an official complaint against SpaceX on Wednesday, claiming the company illegally fired eight employees for penning a letter criticizing CEO Elon Musk’s posts.
According to the NLRB, a regional official at the agency filed a complaint alleging that the rocket and satellite company violated its employees’ rights by firing them after they circulated the letter.
In June 2022, SpaceX employees circulated a letter that claimed several of Mr. Musk’s posts from 2020 and beyond violated the company’s workplace misconduct policy and called his posts a frequent “distraction and embarrassment.” They also urged leadership to “uphold clear repercussions for all unacceptable behavior, whether from the CEO or an employee starting their first day.”
Five of the eight employees were fired almost immediately after the letter was released, with the remaining employees being fired in July and August.
The complaint claims that SpaceX’s firing of the workers was retaliatory and illegally infringed on their legal rights to organize for better working conditions.
If the NLRB finds that SpeaceX acted illegally, it can order the company to reinstate the fired workers and issue them back pay. The legal battle is set to start with a hearing on March 5, unless the company settles.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.