SpaceX accused of wrongful termination over Musk criticism

SpaceX has been accused of illegally firing eight workers who were publicly critical of CEO Elon Musk.

A complaint led by the US Labor Department revealed that workers sent an open letter to company management in 2022 detailing workplace problems. In the letter, the leading man was described as a "distraction and disgrace".

The National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) took over the case, accusing SpaceX of violating workers' rights under federal labor laws that allow workers to collectively advocate for better working conditions.

All participants in the open letter were also questioned about their behavior before their employment was terminated. Former employee Deborah Lawrence's legal team is reportedly accusing SpaceX of having a "toxic culture" where even harassment is tolerated. "We didn't write the open letter to management out of malice, but because we cared about the people around us," Lawrence wrote.

If SpaceX does not choose to settle, the case will be heard by an administrative law judge, whose decision can be appealed to the board and then to a federal appeals court. The hearing is scheduled for March 5. If the NLRB determines that the firing violated labor law, the workers may be ordered reinstated and back wages awarded.

This is not the first time Musk and his companies have come under fire for labor rights violations. In October of last year, Twitter, or X, faced allegations that it illegally fired an employee for tweets criticizing the company's work-from-home policy. There have also been allegations of racial discrimination at Tesla's factories, but Tesla denied the workers' statements and assured that its policy does not allow discrimination in the workplace.