Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, has been accused of breaking the law by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In their first formal complaint against the company, NLRB’s “Region 20” San Francisco branch alleges that X violated the National Labor Relations Act through the termination of Yao Yue, a principal software engineer. This termination occurred shortly after Musk assumed control of the company in late October.
The NLRB claims that X fired Yue after she made attempts to organize other Twitter workers who were dissatisfied with Musk’s sudden change in the company’s work requirements. Yue’s actions seem to have stemmed from Musk’s email to Twitter employees, where he outlined his expectations. Musk went as far as stating that managers who falsely praise employees or deem a role essential, regardless of whether it is remote or not, would be terminated. These instructions led to concerns and outrage among many employees, as stated in the original legal charge document filed in March.
In response to Musk’s directive, Yue tweeted, advising her colleagues not to resign but rather get fired. She also posted a message in a company Slack channel with the plea, “Don’t be fired. Seriously.” Many of her colleagues responded to her messages, as detailed in the legal charge document. Simultaneously, Musk instructed his management team to monitor online posts and Slack conversations to identify individuals to be let go. Five days later, Yue was fired, with the reason given as a violation of an unidentified company policy.
The legal charge document suggests that Yue believes Twitter chose her for layoff as retaliation for her attempted organization of coworkers, aiming to strengthen their legal grounds for challenging any separation from the company. The NLRB accuses X of interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees, thereby infringing upon their rights protected by national labor law.
The Consequences and Seeking Justice
Yao Yue expressed her sentiments in a tweet following her termination, stating she had been fired by Twitter after a tumultuous three weeks. She admitted that she had never expected to remain with the company for as long as 12 years, but was relieved to finally move on. The NLRB seeks to make Yue whole for any direct or foreseeable financial harm caused by X’s unlawful conduct. Additionally, they aim to provide additional relief to remedy the unfair labor practices alleged. A hearing for the case is scheduled to take place on January 30th in San Francisco.
The allegations made against Elon Musk’s X raise important concerns about labor laws and the treatment of employees. If found guilty, X could face serious consequences and additional measures to rectify the situation. The outcome of the hearing will clarify the extent to which X violated the National Labor Relations Act and whether Yao Yue will receive justice for her dismissal. It remains to be seen how this case will impact future management practices and labor relations within X and potentially other companies.
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