US union UAW sues Trump and Musk, saying they intimidated car workers in X interview

The United Auto Workers Union said on Tuesday it has filed charges with the National Labour Relations Board against Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk over attempts to threaten and intimidate workers.

The action came after Musk and Trump held a two-hour conversation on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday night, during which the two discussed workers walking off the job to go on strike.

“You’re the greatest cutter,” Trump said during the conversation. “I mean, I look at what you do. You walk in, you just 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.’”

Under federal law, workers cannot be fired for going on strike, and threatening to do so is illegal under the National Labour Relations Act, the UAW said in a statement.

The UAW has endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris in her bid for US president. She met union officials and workers last week near Detroit.