The union was specifically referring to Trump, who had said to Musk during the conversation: “If they go on strike, you say: That’s OK, then you’re all gone. You’re all gone. Every one of you is gone.” Musk reacted with laughter. Employees at Tesla, the electric car manufacturer he runs, are not unionized in the USA because the man who is currently the wealthiest person in the world according to Forbes, considers this to be decidedly unnecessary.
“Both Trump and Musk want working-class people to sit down and shut up, and they’re openly laughing about it,” commented UAW President Shawn Fain. “It’s disgusting, illegal, and completely predictable from these two clowns.” UAW says it represents more than 400,000 active workers in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico – primarily from the auto industry. Politically, the union traditionally supports Democrats. At the end of July, it backed the party’s presidential candidate, Kamala Harris.
In the USA, the right to strike is protected at the federal level – it is illegal to fire or intimidate employees who threaten to strike. The National Labor Relations Board decides whether to investigate the UAW complaint. The federal agency is responsible for compliance with labor law in the USA. If it opens an investigation and comes to the conclusion that a violation has actually occurred, penalties can be imposed.
