The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has filed federal labor charges against Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump. The charges stem from comments made during an interview on Monday (August 12) night, where Trump praised Musk’s handling of striking workers and suggested that striking employees should be fired. The UAW, which represents over 400,000 workers in the automotive, aerospace, and agricultural industries, alleges that these comments constitute illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers.
During the interview, Trump referred to Musk as “the greatest cutter,” alluding to the layoffs Musk has implemented at Tesla and Twitter. He commended Musk’s response to striking workers, saying, “You walk in, you say, ‘You want to quit?’ They go on strike, I won’t mention the name of the company, but they go on strike, and you say, ‘That’s OK, you’re all gone. You’re all gone. So, every one of you is gone.'”
It is illegal under federal labor laws to fire workers who participate or threaten to participate in a protected strike.
UAW President Shawn Fain criticized both Trump and Musk in a statement, saying, “Both Trump and Musk want working-class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly.”
Politico reports that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will need to investigate the UAW’s complaint and decide whether to move forward if it finds that the charge has merit.
The UAW has recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential race after previously endorsing President Joe Biden. Last year, the UAW also launched organizing campaigns at several automakers, including Tesla.
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