By Nora Eckert and Daniel Wiessner
The United Auto Workers Union announced on Tuesday that it has filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board against Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk for attempting to threaten and intimidate workers.
It remains uncertain if the NLRB will take action against Trump for his remarks made during a conversation with Musk that was broadcast on social media platform X.
The UAW is supporting Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and is encouraging its nearly 400,000 workers to vote for her over Trump. The UAW endorsed Harris at the end of July.
Trump praised Musk’s cost-cutting abilities during their conversation, but the NLRB may find it difficult to hold Musk accountable for illegal threats to workers as he did not respond to Trump’s comments.
The UAW emphasized that workers cannot be fired for going on strike, and threatening to do so violates the National Labor Relations Act.
After the UAW’s action, Musk criticized UAW President Shawn Fain in a social media post, referencing past union presidents who were convicted of bribery and corruption.
The Trump campaign defended his policies while criticizing Harris’ EV policies, calling the lawsuit a political stunt to undermine Trump’s support among workers.
The UAW’s action prompted responses from both the Trump campaign and the Harris campaign.
Fain and Trump have exchanged criticisms in the past, with Trump calling for Fain to be fired, blaming him for the weakening of U.S. auto manufacturing.
The UAW has historically supported Democrats, but pro-Trump workers have organized rallies in recent weeks.
In the 2020 presidential race, a majority of Michigan households with a union member voted for President Joe Biden, according to Edison Research.
The Teamsters President criticized Trump’s comments, calling firing workers for exercising their rights economic terrorism.
The NLRB has limited power to address unlawful labor practices, but the UAW’s action sends a political and organizing message.
Fain filed complaints against the Trump campaign and Tesla with the NLRB, alleging that both Trump and Musk made statements suggesting they would fire employees engaged in protected concerted activity.
Musk, who has endorsed Trump, has had disputes with the NLRB in the past, including cases involving SpaceX.
“Why should I pay union dues and give up stock options for nothing?” Tesla is currently facing accusations from the board for allegedly discouraging unionization at a Buffalo, New York plant.