SpaceX wrongly fired eight activist employees, US labor board alleges

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint alleging that SpaceX illegally fired eight employees who wrote and distributed an open letter with workplace concerns.

Circulated in June 2022, the open letter called out how SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk’s public behavior was harming the company’s reputation. At the time, Business Insider alleged that SpaceX paid a $250,000 settlement to a flight attendant that Elon Musk sexually harassed.

An excerpt from the open letter reads:

Elon’s behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us, particularly in recent weeks. As our CEO and most prominent spokesperson, Elon is seen as the face of SpaceX—every Tweet that Elon sends is a de facto public statement by the company. It is critical to make clear to our teams and to our potential talent pool that his messaging does not reflect our work, our mission, or our values.

The NLRB also alleges that SpaceX interrogated, surveilled and threatened workers. As a result of its complaint, the NLRB regional director in Los Angeles will seek to arrive at a settlement with SpaceX. If SpaceX doesn’t settle, the company will face a hearing before an administrative law judge in March.