SpaceX faces two new lawsuits claiming retaliation tied to safety concerns and disability discrimination at its facilities.
According to a lawsuit that was recently filed, Robert Markert, a longtime supervisor, claims that he was disregarded by SpaceX leaders when he warned them that a particular aspect of the rocket fairing recovery process could “easily cause serious injury or death.”
Markert argues that the more cost-effective solution was chosen. He was terminated from his position several months later.
Markert is one of two former SpaceX employees who have filed separate wrongful-termination lawsuits. Both of these lawsuits were transferred to federal court earlier this month. The two complaints make similar allegations regarding prioritizing haste and cost savings over other factors, such as safety.
The lawsuits are filed as SpaceX scrambles to prepare its Starship ultra-heavy rocket for NASA, commercial customers, and its Starlink satellite internet service launch.
In addition to the Starship program, SpaceX is the operator of the Falcon 9, the most frequently launched rocket in history, which has been launched 87 times this year.
Markert was terminated from the organization in April after serving for 13 years. He claims technicians were occasionally obligated to work for 15 to 20 consecutive days during his tenure. However, when he brought this issue to the attention of his supervisors, he was informed that “the schedule comes first.”
Markert claims that the ship technicians were too afraid to disclose the injuries that resulted from the punishing schedule, which was performed in a high-stress environment.
According to the complaint, Markert was informed that the company would not allocate funds for training and certifications when he proposed that the company prioritize them.
David Lavalle, a SpaceX plumber, claimed in his second lawsuit that the company failed to facilitate his numerous work-related injuries, which included a fractured foot, severe neck pain, injuries to his back and shoulders, and wrist pain. He claims that he was terminated because of these injuries.
According to the complaint, Lavalle did not register for workers’ compensation for all these injuries due to concerns about retaliation.
Lavalle was terminated nine days after requesting medical leave for knee pain caused by gout. In 2014, Lavalle, who is 60 years old, joined the organization.
The complaint alleges that he was a part of a wave of firings of older staff members, which was led in part by 28-year-old Scott Hiler, who was recruited as a new senior manager by SpaceX late last year.
Lavalle’s attorney did not promptly respond to TechCrunch’s request, and a lawyer representing Markert declined to comment. SpaceX did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
According to recent reports from TechCrunch, SpaceX’s worker injury rates for 2024 exceeded those of its competitors.
The injury rate at the Starbase complex in Texas was 4.27 per 100 workers last year, which is nearly triple the aerospace manufacturing average of 1.6, according to data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Markert, who resides in Los Angeles County, does not explicitly specify his position at SpaceX. The lawsuit does acknowledge that he collaborated with ship technicians.
The OSHA documents indicate that SpaceX’s West Coast rocket fairing recovery operations have the highest injury rates among all SpaceX sites, with an injury rate of 7.6 per 100 workers.
Both complaints were lodged in Los Angeles County Superior Court and were then removed by SpaceX to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
