Jan. 4 (UPI) — SpaceX illegally fired eight workers in 2022 for circulating an open letter criticizing management and company founder Elon Musk for a culture of sexism and discrimination, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which will pursue a case against the rocket company.
In a complaint filed Wednesday, federal labor officials accused SpaceX of firing the employees after they requested the company enforce harassment policies evenly and distance itself from Musk, who had mocked sexual harassment accusations against him on social media.
Musk’s “behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us,” the letter said, as the employees requested SpaceX “swiftly and explicitly separate itself from Musk’s personal brand.”
“SpaceX’s current systems and culture do not live up to its stated values, as many employees continue to experience unequal enforcement of our oft-repeated ‘Zero Tolerance’ policies. This must change,” the letter added.
Musk, who created SpaceX in 2002, is also the founder of electric car-maker Tesla. He purchased X, formerly known as Twitter, in 2022 for $44 billion and laid off nearly half the work force.
According to the NLRB complaint, SpaceX pressured the workers not to distribute the letter, according to board spokesperson Kayla Blado, who said the company threatened them with termination. Five workers were fired the day after the letter was sent to executives. Four others were fired over the next two months.
“It was hard for me to believe what was happening, it was so brazen,” one of the fired workers Tom Moline told The New York Times. “It feels like one of those times employees have protections.”
“At SpaceX the rockets may be reusable, but the people who build them are treated as expendable,” said Paige Holland-Theilen, who was also fired. “I am hopeful these charges will hold SpaceX and its leadership accountable for their long history of mistreating workers and stifling discourse.”
SpaceX has not commented on the complaint.
