A U.S. labor agency has accused SpaceX of unlawfully firing employees who penned an open letter critical of CEO Elon Musk and creating an impression that worker activities were under surveillance by the rocket ship company.
A Los Angeles-based regional director for the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday filed a complaint that consolidates eight unfair labor practice charges against SpaceX. The cases stem from the company's alleged actions following the circulation of the employees' letter back in June 2022.
The letter, among other workplace concerns, called on executives to condemn Musk's public behavior on X -- the platform then-known as Twitter -- and hold everyone accountable for unacceptable conduct. Musk's actions included making light of sexual harassment allegations against him, which the billionaire denied.
"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," the open letter said at the time. The letter also referred to Musk's actions as a "frequent source of distraction and embarrassment."
A total of nine employees were soon terminated for their involvement in the letter, according to a November 2022 filing made on behalf of one of the employees to the NLRB, although only eight are included in Wednesday's complaint.
In addition to the firings, the complaint accuses SpaceX of interrogating other workers about the letter, announcing that employees were terminated for their participation in the letter and "inviting employees to quit if they disagreed with the behavior of Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk."
The complaint also alleges that some were shown screen shots of communications between employees about the letter, which "created an impression among (SpaceX's) employees that their protected concerted activities were under surveillance."
Reacting to the board's complaint, SpaceX sued the NLRB Thursday in federal court. The lawsuit says the NRLB is "unconstitutionally structured" and its action against the company "unlawful."
Addressing the board's complaint in its lawsuit, SpaceX lawyers say the employees' letter caused "significant distraction to SpaceX employees across the country." It said the employees involved in the letter were fired for violating a number of company policies.
Space X did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' requests for comment Thursday.
The Hawthorne, California, company has until mid-January to respond to the complaint, according to Wednesday's filing. The complaint marks the NLRB's first step towards litigating these allegations and seeking a settlement. If a settlement isn't reached, a hearing is scheduled to begin on March 5 in Los Angeles.
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.
A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.
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Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump's latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her 'mentally disabled.'
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A child was sent to hospital after being attacked by a coyote in northwest Calgary.
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British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.
A commemorative rally marking the fourth anniversary of Joyce Echaquan’s death will take place in Ville-Marie on Saturday afternoon.
Alberta's premier spoke to calls for an outside, independent investigation into the death of Jon Wells during an incident involving Calgary police last week.
Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump's latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her 'mentally disabled.'
A reaction following a fire at a Georgia chemical plant Sunday morning is forcing evacuations and road closures in the area, according to Rockdale County officials.
Witnesses on Monday reported the first Israeli airstrike in central Beirut in nearly a year of conflict, hours after Israel struck targets across Lebanon and killed dozens of people over the weekend.
Tim Walz and JD Vance might have the chance to reshape the political landscape Tuesday in their first and only debate.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and believes that an all-out war in the Middle East must be avoided.
Riding in a black SUV with tinted windows, lawyer Mariel Colon rolls up to the gates of a remote mansion, strolling past a security guard side-by-side with Emma Coronel, the wife of notorious drug lord JoaquÃn 'El Chapo' Guzman.
The Liberal government is announcing more details on its existing strategy and funding to fight hate crimes.
Migrant groups are pushing the federal government to reverse its cap on international study permits and tightening post-graduate work permit qualifications, claiming it will leave many students 'in limbo.'
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A man from Alberta has been at the Medipal International Hospital in Kampala, Uganda for over two months with a hefty medical bill. He says he can’t leave until it’s been paid for.
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A partial masking mandate has returned to Nova Scotia hospitals and provincially run healthcare facilities for visitors and healthcare workers.
Canadian innovators and technical leaders gathered in Ottawa Thursday to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge technology.
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
Trees haven't grown on the Falkland Islands for thousands of years. But tree trunks and branches preserved in peat suggest the islands were once home to a forest.
John Ashton, the veteran character actor who memorably played the gruff but lovable police detective John Taggart in the 'Beverly Hills Cop' films, has died. He was 76.
Francis Ford Coppola’s decades-in-the-making, self-financed epic 'Megalopolis' flopped with moviegoers, while the acclaimed DreamWorks Animation family film 'The Wild Robot' soared to No. 1 at the weekend box office.
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A strike by grain terminal workers at the Port of Metro Vancouver has ended, their employer announced Friday night.
When Annie Korver sits down with a new corporate or small business client, she encourages them to focus first on the 'truth' part of Truth and Reconciliation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada US$250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace.
While libraries might be stereotyped by some as boring or outdated, they’ve become popular digital destinations for young viewers on TikTok.
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Matt Perrault has shipped animals in and out of Canada on behalf of owners for more than two decades, handling creatures ranging from birds to bearded dragons, rabbits and ferrets.
South Korea's Si Woo Kim missed a birdie putt on No. 18 and lost his match to Keegan Bradley as the United States clinched another win over the International team at the Presidents Cup.
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On an eventful Saturday at the Presidents Cup, the U.S. took an 11-7 lead over an International team that saw big performances from the world's No. 1 ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler.
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A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
More than 12,000 vehicles in Canada are included in two separate recalls by Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda.
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A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.
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A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.
Here are five things to do in Vancouver this weekend to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
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A disappointing season was capped with one final blow Sunday as the Toronto Blue Jays dropped a 3-1 decision to the Miami Marlins.
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Sandy Yep's roots dig deep in Chinatown. His family planted themselves in the neighbourhood in 1895, and four generations later, he was raised in its vibrancy. "When I was growing up, you would hear mahjong being played, you would hear voices of families laughing and running," Yep said. His ties to Chinatown are framed in several photos displayed in an outdoor exhibit in the heart of the neighbourhood.
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The East Coast Ukrainian Festival kicked off at Pier 21 in Halifax on Saturday, celebrating Ukrainian culture and traditions.
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Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews believe a candle caused a major house fire in the city’s William Whyte neighbourhood Sunday afternoon.
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People in Guelph may notice a new addition at the entrance to Franchetto Park in Guelph.
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The fourth and final walk in memory of Megan Gallagher drew around one hundred people in Saskatoon on Sunday.
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The CEO of the Ottawa Mission is responding to controversial comments made this week by Premier Doug Ford about those living in homeless encampments that received swift blowback from advocates.
A crash between a car and motorcycle closed a portion of Oxford St. in downtown London for several hours on Sunday.
On Saturday night at her parents’ home in Delaware, Ont. the Olympic bronze medallist in pole vault welcomed everyone who played a role in getting her to the podium in Paris.
The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30.
A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.
OPP officers arrested a suspect while he was in the middle of a possible theft Sunday morning in Wasaga Beach.
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Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.
The BSI aims to elevate Black academic excellence, promoting scholarship, mentorship, and cultural knowledge.
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Bullet casings recovered from the scene of a B.C. woman’s murder 30 years ago will be retested for DNA after the province’s highest court ruled it is “in the interests of justice†to do so in support of an ongoing appeal.
The fertility rate in Canda reached an all-time low in 2023, and the lowest rate was recorded in British Columbia, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
New Democrat Leader David Eby, speaking before his largest crowd of the provincial election campaign, says he's making a tax relief election promise that will benefit more than 90 per cent of people in British Columbia.
Fire crews in Vernon, B.C., responded to a large house fire early Saturday morning.
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The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.
A 10-year-old boy from Lethbridge is being praised as a hero after a routine summer outing at the pool nearly turned tragic for his friend.
A man and woman have been charged after a Lethbridge ice creamery was broken into earlier this week. Staff arrived at Cookie Crimes, in the 300 block of Sixth Street South, just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday to discover the front window broken.
Overnight on Thursday as the community of Elliot Lake was resting to prepare for the upcoming Kraft Hockeyville celebrations, when vandals struck a building that has been top of mind for the northern Ontario city for more than a year.
Ontario Provincial Police remind the public that ‘a case is never closed until it is solved,’ while highlighting the force's continued investigation of the 1996 disappearance of Melanie Ethier.
Sault residents may notice some commotion on the Algoma University campus over the next two weeks as a team conducts an archaeological search.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they’re about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
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