UAW Files Labor Charges Over Trump-Musk Interview

Union cites exchange about firing workers who threaten to strike
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 13, 2024 1:30 PM CDT
UAW Files Labor Charges Against Trump, Musk
This combination of photos shows Donald Trump, left, and Elon Musk.   (AP Photo)

One group unhappy with Elon Musk's interview with Donald Trump Monday night is the United Auto Workers. The union filed federal labor charges on Tuesday against the two men over an exchange about striking workers, reports the Hill.

  • Trump: "You're the greatest cutter," Trump told Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and the X platform. "I mean, I look at what you do. You walk in, you just say: 'You want to quit?' They go on strike—I won't mention the name of the company—but they go on strike. And you say: 'That's OK, you're all gone.'" (The UAW tweeted a link to the audio.)
  • Musk: He chuckled during Trump's comments but said nothing, Reuters reports. The lack of a specific response would work in his favor if the National Labor Relations Board opts to investigate whether he intimidated workers, the outlet notes.

  • UAW: It's illegal to fire or intimidate workers who threaten to strike, notes Politico, and the union says the exchange implicates both men. "Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly. It's disgusting, illegal, and totally predictable from these two clowns," said union chief Shawn Fain in a statement. The UAW has endorsed VP Kamala Harris in the 2024 race.
  • Twitter? Though Trump didn't name the company, CNBC reports he was referring to Musk's "gutting" of the Twitter staff when he bought the platform in 2022.
(More UAW stories.)

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