SpaceX illegally fired workers who called Elon Musk an ‘embarrassment’: labor agency
NY Post
Rocket and satellite maker SpaceX on Wednesday was accused by a US labor agency of unlawfully firing eight employees for circulating a letter calling founder and CEO Elon Musk a “distraction and embarrassment.”
A regional official with the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint claiming SpaceX violated the workers’ rights under federal labor law to band together and advocate for better working conditions.
The letter sent to SpaceX executives in June 2022 focused on a series of tweets Musk had made since 2020, many of which were sexually suggestive. The employees claimed Musk’s statements did not align with the company’s policies on diversity and workplace misconduct, and called on SpaceX to condemn them.
The complaint also accuses SpaceX of interrogating employees about the letter, disparaging the workers who were involved, and threatening to fire workers who engaged in similar activity.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SpaceX has a “toxic culture” where harassment is tolerated, particularly against women, Deborah Lawrence, one of the employees who was fired, said in a statement provided by her lawyers.
