Musk also claimed during the event that unions “naturally try to create negativity in a company.” While that assertion is questionable, unionization could imperil Musk’s meticulous efforts at image management and brand promotion, which have helped turn Tesla and SpaceX into multi-billion-dollar companies. It would also make it harder for Musk to impose his own vision of work-life balance upon his companies’ workforces: He once claimed to work 16 hours a day, and Tesla workers have often faced similarly grueling schedules, even on weekends. His factories in California, Nevada, and Texas have also faced frequent complaints about unsafe labor practices.
SpaceX’s decision to file the lawsuit in Texas, rather than California, appeared to be a transparent bid to secure a conservative, business-friendly slate of judges to hear the case. That effort faced a major setback last week when the presiding judge ordered it transferred to federal courts in California.
“The events touching this district are incidental to the principal events occurring elsewhere and constitute a relatively small portion of the total body of events,” Judge Rolando Olvera concluded. “This action concerns a California administrative proceeding regarding the actions of a California company and its California employees in California. This action should be transferred.” The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals stayed that transfer pending further review on Tuesday, however, and may yet give Musk the more favorable forum that he is seeking.