Court Rules in Favor of Musk's 2018 Tweet

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has ruled in favor of Tesla CEO Elon Musk regarding a controversial 2018 tweet that union leaders viewed as a threat to employee stock options during organizing efforts by the United Auto Workers at Tesla's Fremont facility. The court's decision, which was split 9-8, determined that Musk's tweet constitutes protected speech under the First Amendment, overturning an earlier ruling by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that classified it as an illegal threat. Musk's tweet stated that while Tesla employees could vote for a union, paying dues would mean losing stock options. The case has now been sent back to the NLRB for further consideration, including the reinstatement of a fired employee, as the court found no evidence of anti-union bias in the termination. The dissenting opinion argued that Musk's communication was coercive and should not be protected. The outcome highlights ongoing tensions between labor rights and employer speech in the context of social media.