A national union representing casino industry workers has filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk following their conversation on X on Monday night. The United Auto Workers (UAW), formally known as the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, represents a wide array of employees, including automotive manufacturing workers and thousands in the gaming industry.
On Tuesday, the UAW responded to the Trump-Musk discourse on X’s Spaces platform by lodging federal labor charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The complaint alleges that Trump and Musk employed language that could potentially intimidate and threaten workers within their companies.
The controversy erupted after technical glitches delayed the chat between Trump and Musk. During the conversation, Trump appeared to praise Musk’s decision to terminate workers who threatened to strike after he acquired Twitter, now rebranded as X. “I look at what you do. 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 okay, you’re all gone. You’re all gone. So, every one of you is gone,’” Trump said to Musk.
Following Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, roughly 80% of the workforce was laid off, slashing the staff from nearly 8,000 to 1,500 employees. UAW President Shawn Fain, a vocal critic of both Trump and Musk, declared that Trump’s apparent endorsement of these mass layoffs constituted worker intimidation. “When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean,” Fain commented in a statement announcing the NLRB filing. “When we say Trump stands against everything our union stands for, this is what we mean.”
Federal law protects workers from being terminated solely because of their desire to organize or strike. Fain further asserted, “Donald Trump will always side against workers standing up for themselves, and he will always side with billionaires like Elon Musk. Both Trump and Musk want working-class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly. It’s disgusting, illegal, and totally predictable from these two clowns.”
Fain assumed the role of UAW president in March 2023 and has been a prominent figure since, particularly when the UAW launched a strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis in September 2023.
Musk swiftly responded to Fain’s accusations on his X platform, stating, “The last two UAW presidents went to prison for bribery & corruption. Based on recent news, it looks like this guy will join them.”
The UAW’s representation extends to various casino workers, including those who manage table games, slot machines, poker, keno operations, and more. Approximately 10,000 UAW members are employed within the U.S. gaming industry, working in significant markets such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, the Baltimore-Washington area, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Rhode Island. The union advocates for legislative changes in states that allow indoor smoking, seeking to mandate a 100% smoke-free environment in casinos and gaming facilities.
The UAW had endorsed President Joe Biden for the 2024 election prior to his announcement to withdraw his candidacy, subsequently endorsing Kamala Harris for the November 5 election.
