Suspecting SpaceX of having fired employees under the pretext that they criticized Elon Musk, the American federal agency responsible for enforcing employee rights is filing a complaint.
The company SpaceX Although she most often has her head in the stars, it is a very down to earth problem that she faces. The case starts in June 2022. Several employees of the space agency note the tweets thatElon Musktheir boss, has written since 2020. Believing that they do not correspond to the values that SpaceX conveys, they write a open letter in which they call on management to condemn the incriminated comments.
The letter is very direct. The anonymous signatories explain that “Elon’s behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment”, recalling that as CEO, “Elon is seen as the face of SpaceX – every tweet sent by Elon is a de facto public statement of the company”. The remarks clearly do not please the latter since 8 employees are dismissed following the publication of the text. A procedure judged illegal speak National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a federal agency responsible for enforcing employee rights and labor laws.
US federal agency files suit against SpaceX for unfair dismissal
Overall, the NLRB complaint discusses violation of employees’ right to organize and advocate for better working conditions. Additionally, SpaceX allegedly questioned employees about the open letter, denigrated the workers involved and threatened to fire those who would like to do the same. These are not the only problems noted. According to Deborah Lawrence, one of the licensees, there is “a toxic culture” at SpaceX where harassment is toleratedespecially towards women.
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The space agency has not yet responded to the accusations. Without action on his part, a hearing will take place on March 5. If found guilty, the company could be forced to re-engage the people concerned while paying their salary arrears. Heavier sentences will also be considered, depending on the verdict ultimately rendered. We remember that at the beginning of 2023, SpaceX employees asked Elon Musk to leave them alone, saying that his absence was beneficial.
Source: Reuters