Rocket and satellite maker SpaceX on Wednesday was accused by the US labor agency of illegally firing eight workers for circulating a letter calling founder and CEO Elon Musk “disruptive and embarrassing.”
A regional official with the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint alleging SpaceX violated workers’ rights under federal labor law to unionize and advocate for better working conditions.
A letter sent to SpaceX executives in June 2022 focused on a series of tweets Musk had made since 2020, many of which were sexually charged. The employees claimed Musk’s statements were inconsistent with the company’s policies on diversity and workplace misconduct, and called on SpaceX to condemn them.
The complaint also accuses SpaceX of questioning employees about the letter, belittling the employees involved, and threatening to fire employees involved in similar activities.
A letter sent to SpaceX executives in June 2022 focused on a series of tweets Elon Musk had made since 2020, many of which were sexually charged. Joe Marino/UPI/Shutterstock
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SpaceX has a “toxic culture” where harassment is tolerated, especially against women, Deborah Lawrence, one of the fired employees, said in a statement prepared by her attorney.
“We wrote an open letter to leadership not out of malice, but because we care about the mission and the people around us,” Lawrence said.
The NLRB’s general counsel acts like a prosecutor and brings cases to a five-member board appointed by the president.
If SpaceX doesn’t settle, the case will be heard by an administrative judge, whose decision can be appealed to the board and then to a federal appeals court. A hearing is scheduled for March 5, Blado said Wednesday.
The employee claimed Musk’s remarks were inconsistent with the company’s policies on diversity and misconduct in the workplace REUTERS
When the NLRB finds that a dismissal violates labor law, it can order that the employee be reinstated and given back pay. If SpaceX is found to have violated the law, it could also face stiffer penalties in future cases before the board.
The case is the latest to accuse companies run by Musk of violating workers’ rights under labor and employment laws.
Reuters in November documented at least 600 previously unreported workplace injuries at SpaceX facilities, including crushed limbs, electrocutions, head injuries and one death. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment on the discovery.
In October, the NLRB issued a complaint accusing X, Musk’s social media service formerly known as Twitter, of illegally firing employees for tweets that challenged the company’s back-to-office policy. X has denied wrongdoing.
And electric vehicle maker Tesla, where Musk is CEO, has faced several NLRB complaints amid a union organizing campaign and numerous lawsuits alleging widespread racial discrimination at its factories. Tesla says it does not tolerate discrimination.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
