UAW claims illegal labor threats in X talk between Musk and Trump

WASHINGTON — The United Auto Workers has filed federal labor charges against Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, the union said Tuesday.

The complaints come after the two men had a two-hour-long conversation marred by technical difficulties the previous night on X, Musk's social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The union specifically cited comments from Trump during an exchange about government efficiency and spending of taxpayer dollars.

"You're the greatest cutter," Trump said Monday, referencing Musk's history of eliminating staff across his businesses. "I mean, I look at what you do. You walk in, you just say, 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. You're all gone. So every one of you is gone."

The union noted in its statement that federal law prohibits workers from being fired for going on strike and that threatening to do so is illegal under the National Labor Relations Act.

"The UAW has filed federal labor charges against disgraced billionaires Donald Trump and Elon Musk for their illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers who stand up for themselves by engaging in protected concerted activity, such as strikes," the union said in a statement issued by spokesperson Jonah Furman.

"This frivolous lawsuit is a shameless political stunt intended to erode President Trump’s overwhelming support among America’s workers," said Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes in a statement.

He added: "Democrat special interest bosses may lie and stoke fear to try and stop President Trump from creating the broadest coalition of any candidate in history, but rank-and-file workers and their families know the truth. President Trump strengthened our economy and delivered results on behalf of the forgotten men and women of America."

Tesla, which dissolved its public relations department in 2020 but still lists a press contact on its website. did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Detroit News.

The UAW's international executive board on July 31 endorsed Trump's Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, in her presidential bid. Since then, UAW President Shawn Fain has stepped up his familiar role as a top booster for the Democratic ticket and a Trump opponent.

“When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean. When we say Trump stands against everything our union stands for, this is what we mean,” Fain said in a statement.

Fain, in copies of the complaints obtained by The News, is listed as the party filing charge on each of the UAW's two new filings to the National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency meant to serve as a referee in union elections and labor disputes.

In the one-page filing against Tesla, Fain alleges: "Within the last six months, the CEO of the Employer, Elon Musk, interfered with, restrained, or coerced employees in the exercise of their Section 7 rights, including but not limited [to] making and/or adopting statements suggesting he would fire employees engaged in protected concerted activity, including striking."

The second complaint, filed against Trump's campaign, is identical except for naming Trump instead of Musk.

The move is more of a political attack than a legitimate labor grievance, according to Marc Robinson, managing partner of consultancy Arbalète LLC and a former GM internal consultant who was involved in labor negotiations.

"There wasn't a specific enough context for it actually to be illegal. I think it's just part of the UAW effort to portray Trump and Musk as anti-labor," he said. "Essentially, what the UAW wanted to was highlight (Trump's) statement."

Fain — who became president of the UAW in March 2023 and led a historic, successful strike against Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV — emerged over the last two years as a crucial supporter and surrogate for President Joe Biden before he dropped out of the presidential race.

The union leader stumped for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for the first time last week in Metro Detroit. He gave speeches at a large, public campaign rally at a Detroit Metro Airport and a smaller, private one at the UAW Local 900 hall in Wayne.

Fain and Trump have often traded barbs, including when the former president went off script during prepared remarks at the Republican National Convention last month to say Fain should be "fired immediately" as head of the UAW. Earlier this month, he called Fain a "stupid person" during a Fox News interview.

“Look, the United Auto Workers I know very well, they vote for me. They have a stupid person leading them, but they vote for me. They’re going to love Donald Trump more than ever before,” Trump said.

The UAW, in response to a prior inquiry from The News, said that over 60% of its members have supported the Democratic candidate in presidential elections dating back to at least 2008.

Karoline Leavitt, Trump's national press secretary, said in a statement last week that: "President Trump did more for the auto industry in four years than any President in history and is running again to fix the economic disaster caused by the Harris-Biden Administration.

"Shawn Fain," she said, referring to the UAW president, "is a puppet of the Democrat Party who is sadly out of touch with the millions of hardworking union laborers across the country who are supporting President Trump."

Fain on Tuesday said Trump and Musk are out of touch with workers.

“Donald Trump will always side against workers standing up for themselves, and he will always side with billionaires like Elon Musk, who is contributing $45 million a month to a Super PAC to get him elected," he said, referencing a Wall Street Journal report about Musk's efforts to get Trump elected.

The UAW president added: "Both 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.”

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