Among other things, a message from CEO Elon Musk on Twitter violated American law.
This was ruled by the National Labor Relations Board, which in the United States ensures that employees can stand up for their workers’ rights.
Among other things, Tesla made a mistake by firing an employee who also actively worked for a union. In addition, a comment by Musk on Twitter about the consequences of workers joining a union would amount to a threat.
In the tweet in question, Musk wrote, “Why to pay union dues and give up stock options for no reason.” In doing so, he suggested that he withdraw this bonus from unionized staff, the National Labor Relations Board found. Threatening punishment for unionized workers is illegal in the US.
Tesla is now being ordered to offer the dismissed employee a job again. Musk must also remove the Twitter post about stock options, which dates from 2018. The National Labor Relations Board has no authority to impose fines. It is still possible to appeal against the judgment.
Tesla has always maintained that it has done nothing wrong. The company was not immediately available for comment.