'It is a federal right of workers to go on strike and they cannot be fired for that,' union president says
The United Auto Workers (UAW) has announced that it filed federal labour charges against former President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for attempting to intimidate and threaten workers who go on strikes.
In a media release, the UAW said the charges stem from remarks made during a recent conversation between Trump and Musk on social media platform X.
"I mean, I look at what you do," Trump told Musk during the discussion. "You walk in, you 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. You're all gone. So, every one of you is gone.'"
According to the UAW, their conversation advocated for the firing of striking workers, an act deemed illegal under the National Labour Relations Act in the US.
UAW president Shawn Fain said Trump's remarks show his opposition to everything the union stands for.
"When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean," Fain said in a statement. "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."
Employers 'need to be held accountable'
In a video statement uploaded on Facebook, Fain added that Trump and Musk "sneer at labour law."
"They don't care about labour law because they don't care about working class people. They believe in buying off the system, buying off politicians, and being able to have their way with people," he said on the video.
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The UAW president also stressed that employers "need to be held accountable when they break the law."
"It is a federal right of workers to go on strike and they cannot be fired for that," Fain said.
The charges were filed ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, where Republican candidate Donald Trump is running against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party candidate.
The UAW announced on July 31 that it is endorsing Harris for president.
"We can put a billionaire back in office who stands against everything our union stands for, or we can elect Kamala Harris who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our war on corporate greed," Fain said as quoted by The Associated Press.
"There is only one answer to the threat we face as a nation, and it’s not another billionaire in office."