SpaceX Faces Allegations of Wrongful Termination for Criticism of Elon Musk

SpaceX, the aerospace manufacturer led by Elon Musk, is under scrutiny for allegedly unlawfully firing eight employees who voiced concerns about workplace conditions in an open letter to the company's executives in 2022. The complaint, filed by a regional official at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accuses SpaceX of violating federal labor law, which protects employees' rights to advocate collectively for improved working conditions.

The open letter reportedly referred to Elon Musk as a "distraction and embarrassment." The NLRB complaint also claims that the workers who participated in drafting the letter were subjected to interrogation before their termination. Lawyers for one of the former employees, Deborah Lawrence, have described SpaceX's culture as "toxic" and accused the company of tolerating harassment.

In response to the allegations, SpaceX has yet to provide a comment. The NLRB's general counsel will prosecute the case unless a settlement is reached. If the NLRB determines that the firings violated labor law, it can order the reinstatement of the terminated workers along with back pay. A hearing is scheduled for March 5.

This is not the first time Elon Musk's companies have faced accusations of violating employees' rights. In October, Musk's other venture, X (formerly Twitter), was accused by the NLRB of illegally firing an employee over tweets challenging the company's return-to-office policy. Additionally, Tesla, the electric car maker led by Musk, has faced several NLRB complaints, including allegations of race discrimination at its factories, which the company denies.

In a separate incident in August, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, alleging discrimination against refugees and asylum seekers in its hiring practices. Musk responded on X, stating that US law requires at least a green card for employment at SpaceX due to rockets being classified as advanced weapons technology.

Source: BBC