Trump praises Elon Musk for firing striking workers, sparking clash with UAW

In documents filed Tuesday with the National Labor Relations Board, the union alleges both men interfered with workers who might want to exercise their right to join a union. The NLRB said it will review the allegations, which are a request from the agency to investigate.

UAW President Shawn Fain, whose union has endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris, said in a statement that Trump is anti-labor.

“Both Trump and Musk want working-class people to sit down and shut up, and they openly laugh about it,” Fain said.

Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, called the allegations “frivolous” and a “shameless political stunt” designed to erode Trump’s strong support among working Americans.

The NLRB said it would investigate the complaints, one filed against the Trump campaign and the other naming Tesla Inc., the Austin, Texas-based maker of electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels run by Musk.

The allegations stem from statements Trump made late Monday during a conversation between the two men on X, the social media platform Musk now owns. The former president spent much of the more than two-hour discussion focusing on his recent assassination attempt, illegal immigration and plans to reduce government regulations.

But during a discussion about government spending, Trump praised Musk for firing striking workers. The UAW argues that this could intimidate workers on the Trump campaign or at Tesla who might want to join a union.

“You’re the ultimate cutter,” Trump told Musk. “I watch what you do. You go in and say, “Do you want to quit?” I won’t mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, ‘That’s fine. You’re all gone.’”

Musk said, “Yeah,” and laughed as Trump spoke.

It was unclear which employees Trump was referring to.

In June, eight former workers at SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company, sued the company and Musk, alleging he ordered them fired after they challenged what they called rampant sexual harassment and a hostile work environment in “Animal House” style within the company.

In addition, the NLRB determined that a 2018 tweet by Musk illegally threatened Tesla employees with the loss of stock options if they chose to be represented by a union.

Three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans upheld that decision, as well as a related NLRB order that Tesla rehire a fired employee with back pay. But the full 5th Circuit later vacated that decision and voted to hear the matter again.

Sanjukta Paul, a law professor at the University of Michigan, said the UAW’s allegations have real substance because Trump and Musk’s comments could “cease” workers’ efforts to take collective action, including organizing unions or simply coming together to improve working conditions.

“You approvingly describe, wholeheartedly praise the flagrant violation of our primary federal labor statute,” she said. “It would constitute an interference with protected rights.”

Marick Masters, a business professor emeritus at Wayne State University who follows labor issues, said the UAW’s decision “puts Trump on the defensive and tries to put him on the defensive in terms of his attitude and behavior toward unions.” He added that the union was watching Musk’s comments as he targeted Tesla’s US factories for organizing trips.