WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A complaint has been filed against Elon Musk's SpaceX with the National Labor Relations Board by former employees, who expressed criticism of Musk's social media posts in an open letter.
The formal complaint, filed on Wednesday, consolidates individual complaints previously filed against SpaceX in November 2022. The complaint states that the company unlawfully fired employees for engaging in activities protected under the National Labor Relations Act.
The incident happened in June 2022 when an open letter circulated within the company, urging SpaceX to distance itself from its chief executive. The letter stated, 'Elon's behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us. As our CEO and most prominent spokesperson, Elon is seen as the face of SpaceX-every Tweet that Elon sends is a de facto public statement by the company.'
In response to the letter, SpaceX interrogated the involved employees, fired some and invited other employees to quit if they disagreed with Musk's views. The company also threatened employees with dismissal if they continued to discuss issues presented in the open letter.
Plaintiffs argue that the company breached the privacy of employees by publicly discussing their conversations regarding the letter, causing apprehension among employees about potential surveillance of their personal interactions.
The Board has set a trial date for March 5, seeking remedies such as training for SpaceX managers and apology letters to the fired employees. There is no mention of monetary damages in the complaint.
In similar incidents, Musk had earlier fired some Twitter employees who criticized his takeover. He also fired two Tesla employees in 2022 for criticizing his tweets and return-to-office policies.
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