Former SpaceX workers say they have been fired in June for writing and circulating an open letter criticizing the habits of the corporate’s CEO, Elon Musk. The eight ex-employees have filed unfair labor practices expenses with the National Labor Relations Board. They declare SpaceX retaliated towards them for writing the letter and that their dismissals have been unlawful.

A Thursday report within the New York Times revealed new particulars about what occurred at SpaceX after the workers despatched executives their open letter, which was drafted within the wake of a May story alleging Musk had uncovered his genitals to a flight attendant and requested her for intercourse in trade for a horse. Musk has denied the allegations, together with the declare that SpaceX paid the flight attendant a $250,000 settlement to maintain quiet.

The Times report illustrates how Musk-led firms are inextricably linked to his identification and highlights the billionaire’s iron grip on how they’re run. Furthermore, the report underscores how Musk offers with dissent at his firms, a subject of excessive public curiosity in the intervening time given his remedy of Twitter workers, a few of whom he’s firing through the social community they work on.

According to the outlet, shortly after SpaceX fired workers for his or her involvement within the letter, the corporate arrange a gathering with a bunch of about 20 engineers. The workers concerned within the NLRB case allege that 9 workers have been fired because of the letter, though solely eight are listed within the declare.

Jon Edwards, SpaceX’s vp of Falcon Launch Vehicles, led the assembly and defined that workers had dedicated an “extremist act” by writing it. They have been fired for distracting the corporate and difficult Musk, Edwards allegedly stated. He additionally despatched a message that Musk was untouchable, the in response to the grievance, and will do no matter he needed.

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“SpaceX is Elon and Elon is SpaceX,” Edwards reportedly stated, in response to two workers on the assembly who spoke to the Times.

Gizmodo reached out to SpaceX however didn’t obtain a response by the point of publication. SpaceX not often responds to media requests.

In their June open letter, workers stated that Musk’s public habits was “a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment” for them and requested the corporate to “uphold clear repercussions for all unacceptable behavior.” Perhaps most egregiously, the workers dared to query Musk’s tweets, which they referred to as “de facto public statement[s] by the company.”

“It is critical to make clear to our teams and to our potential talent pool that his messaging does not reflect our work, our mission, or our values,” workers wrote within the open letter.

The CEO had, unsurprisingly, made gentle of the claims of sexual harassment in May, tweeting issues like, “Fine, if you touch my wiener, you can have a horse.”

He additionally gleefully referred to the scandal as “Elongate.”

The account of the fired SpaceX workers bears placing resemblance to what has occurred at Twitter in latest days, the place Musk has moved shortly to quash riot. On Tuesday, he fired employees who shitposted about him in Slack. On Wednesday, he instructed the workers he had left that they might select to be a part of the new “hardcore Twitter,” characterised by “long hours at high intensity” and “exceptional performance,” or go away.