Eight Fired SpaceX Employees Allege Company Violated Labor Law

A SpaceX spokesman didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Musk is contending with workplace issues at the other companies he leads: Earlier this month, Twitter Inc. began laying off employees, and Mr. Musk has stepped up demands on staff after he completed his acquisition of the social-media company in October.

Paige Holland-Thielen, a former SpaceX engineer, said in her charge filed with the labor board that SpaceX violated a federal labor law by “terminating employees for engaging in the core concerted protected activity of speaking up against SpaceX’s failure and refusal to address the culture of sexism, harassment and discrimination that pervades the workplace,” according to a copy of the charge viewed by The Wall Street Journal. The other former SpaceX workers made similar allegations, their attorneys said.

Ms. Holland-Thielen alleged that the company fired her and four other people June 16, one day after she and other employees sent the letter about Mr. Musk to executives. 

In June, SpaceX President

Gwynne Shotwell

said in an internal message to employees after the letter was sent that the effort was a distraction, and that many SpaceX staff members were upset by it, the Journal has reported. The company terminated some employees over the matter. 

“We have too much critical work to accomplish and no need for this kind of overreaching activism—our current leadership is more dedicated to ensuring we have a great and ever-improving work environment than any I have seen in my 35-year career,” Ms. Shotwell said in that message. 

The New York Times

earlier reported the former SpaceX employees’ labor-board charges. 

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., as SpaceX is formally called—the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company founded by Mr. Musk—is the world’s busiest rocket launcher. It handles missions for the U.S. military, commercial customers and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

The company’s vehicles provide NASA the only means to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station from the U.S. SpaceX also operates Starlink, a growing satellite-internet business. 

The National Labor Relations Board typically takes seven to 14 weeks to determine the merits of an unfair labor practice charge. If the agency finds sufficient evidence to back the charge, it can issue a complaint against the employer adjudicated by an NLRB administrative law judge.  The NLRB can’t penalize employers, but it can require reinstatement or back pay for workers who have been improperly fired. 

Ms. Holland-Thielen’s labor charge included a copy of the letter shared with SpaceX executives, as well as a document compiling some of Mr. Musk’s Twitter posts that signatories of the employee letter said were problematic. 

Some of those posts, the compilation said, amounted to bullying people online or sexual harassment.

Mr. Musk didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Ms. Holland-Thielen also alleged in her charge that after she and four other employees were fired, SpaceX conducted interrogations of dozens of workers.  The company later fired four additional employees for their role in drafting or sharing the letter with company employees, according to her charge.

“We drafted the letter to communicate to the executive staff on their terms and show how their lack of action created tangible barriers to the long term success of the mission,” Ms. Holland-Thielen said in a statement.

David Harrison contributed to this article.

Corrections & Amplifications
The National Labor Relations Board typically takes seven to 14 weeks to determine the merits of an unfair labor practice charge. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said it typically takes one to two weeks. (Corrected on Nov. 17)

Write to Micah Maidenberg at [email protected]

A SpaceX spokesman didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr. Musk is contending with workplace issues at the other companies he leads: Earlier this month, Twitter Inc. began laying off employees, and Mr. Musk has stepped up demands on staff after he completed his acquisition of the social-media company in October.

Paige Holland-Thielen, a former SpaceX engineer, said in her charge filed with the labor board that SpaceX violated a federal labor law by “terminating employees for engaging in the core concerted protected activity of speaking up against SpaceX’s failure and refusal to address the culture of sexism, harassment and discrimination that pervades the workplace,” according to a copy of the charge viewed by The Wall Street Journal. The other former SpaceX workers made similar allegations, their attorneys said.

Ms. Holland-Thielen alleged that the company fired her and four other people June 16, one day after she and other employees sent the letter about Mr. Musk to executives. 

In June, SpaceX President

Gwynne Shotwell

said in an internal message to employees after the letter was sent that the effort was a distraction, and that many SpaceX staff members were upset by it, the Journal has reported. The company terminated some employees over the matter. 

“We have too much critical work to accomplish and no need for this kind of overreaching activism—our current leadership is more dedicated to ensuring we have a great and ever-improving work environment than any I have seen in my 35-year career,” Ms. Shotwell said in that message. 

The New York Times

earlier reported the former SpaceX employees’ labor-board charges. 

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., as SpaceX is formally called—the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company founded by Mr. Musk—is the world’s busiest rocket launcher. It handles missions for the U.S. military, commercial customers and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 

The company’s vehicles provide NASA the only means to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station from the U.S. SpaceX also operates Starlink, a growing satellite-internet business. 

The National Labor Relations Board typically takes seven to 14 weeks to determine the merits of an unfair labor practice charge. If the agency finds sufficient evidence to back the charge, it can issue a complaint against the employer adjudicated by an NLRB administrative law judge.  The NLRB can’t penalize employers, but it can require reinstatement or back pay for workers who have been improperly fired. 

Ms. Holland-Thielen’s labor charge included a copy of the letter shared with SpaceX executives, as well as a document compiling some of Mr. Musk’s Twitter posts that signatories of the employee letter said were problematic. 

Some of those posts, the compilation said, amounted to bullying people online or sexual harassment.

Mr. Musk didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Ms. Holland-Thielen also alleged in her charge that after she and four other employees were fired, SpaceX conducted interrogations of dozens of workers.  The company later fired four additional employees for their role in drafting or sharing the letter with company employees, according to her charge.

“We drafted the letter to communicate to the executive staff on their terms and show how their lack of action created tangible barriers to the long term success of the mission,” Ms. Holland-Thielen said in a statement.

David Harrison contributed to this article.

Corrections & Amplifications
The National Labor Relations Board typically takes seven to 14 weeks to determine the merits of an unfair labor practice charge. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said it typically takes one to two weeks. (Corrected on Nov. 17)

Write to Micah Maidenberg at [email protected]