Rocket and satellite maker SpaceX on Wednesday illegally charged eight employees with distributing a letter that it said “distracted and embarrassed” founder and CEO Elon Musk. He was accused by the U.S. Department of Labor of dismissing him.
Regional officials from the National Labor Relations Board believe that SpaceX violated workers' rights under federal labor law to come together and advocate for improved working conditions, said Kayla Vlad, a spokeswoman for the agency. filed a complaint alleging that
The letter, sent to SpaceX executives in June 2022, focused on a series of tweets from Musk since 2020, many of which were sexually suggestive. Employees called on SpaceX to censure Musk's comments, saying they were inconsistent with the company's policies on diversity and workplace misconduct.
Vlad said the complaint also accuses SpaceX of questioning employees about the letter, belittling those involved and threatening to fire employees who engaged in similar activity.
Lawyers for SpaceX and the workers did not respond to requests for comment.
The NLRB's general counsel acts like a prosecutor, presenting cases to a five-member board appointed by the president.
If SpaceX does not settle, the case will be heard by an administrative judge, whose decision could be appealed to the Board of Governors and then to the Federal Court of Appeals. Blado said Wednesday that a hearing is scheduled for March 5.
If the NLRB determines that the dismissal violates labor law, it can order the worker's reinstatement and pay back.
If SpaceX is found to have violated the law, future board litigation could result in harsher penalties.
