Tesla appeals federal order to delete Musk tweet about union

NEW ORLEANS  - Tesla is asking an appeals court to set aside a federal agency’s order that a Twitter post discouraging union organizing be deleted from CEO Elon Musk’s account.

The National Labor Relations Board found that a May 2018 tweet by Musk unlawfully threatened employees with the loss of stock options if they decided to be represented by a union. The board ordered that the post be deleted. Among other things, the lengthy March 25 board ruling also orders Tesla to reinstate an employee who was fired for union-organizing activity and to give him back pay. The ruling also says Tesla must post a notice addressing unfair labor practices at the Fremont, California, plant, where the United Auto Workers had been trying to organize 10,000 workers.