Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk just changed his Twitter profile location to “Twitter HQ” and his biography to say “Chief Twit.” This change comes as the deadline for his Twitter acquisition deal grows closer.

The billionaire also posted a video to Twitter showing him walking into Twitter’s San Fransisco headquarters while carrying a porcelain sink. Musk seemed to be taunting those who oppose his takeover, with the caption, “Entering Twitter HQ – let that sink in!”

Musk currently faces a deadline of Friday for his $44 billion takeover of the social media company, as set by a court in Delaware.

Meanwhile, Twitter employees are protesting Musk’s reported plan to fire up to 75% of the company’s staff. This would decrease employment numbers from 7,500 to just 2,000. Musk has explained his position on this drastic shift, saying that Twitter is bloated and its current workforce possesses a “strong left-wing bias.”

An open letter from panicking employees demands Musk commit to maintaining the current number of employees following his takeover. It also demands that Musk not be allowed to discriminate against staff members based on their political orientation.

“We demand to be treated with dignity, and to not be treated as mere pawns in a game played by billionaires,” the letter reads.

It also insists that by laying off 75% of workers, “Twitter’s ability to serve the public conversation” will be damaged.

Read the full open letter below:

Staff, Elon Musk, and Board of Directors:

We, the undersigned Twitter workers, believe the public conversation is in jeopardy.

Elon Musk’s plan to lay off 75% of Twitter workers will hurt Twitter’s ability to serve the public conversation. A threat of this magnitude is reckless, undermines our users’ and customers’ trust in our platform, and is a transparent act of worker intimidation.

Twitter has significant effects on societies and communities across the globe. As we speak, Twitter is helping to uplift independent journalism in Ukraine and Iran, as well as powering social movements around the world.

A threat to workers at Twitter is a threat to Twitter’s future. These threats have an impact on us as workers and demonstrate a fundamental disconnect with the realities of operating Twitter. They threaten our livelihoods, access to essential healthcare, and the ability for visa holders to stay in the country they work in. We cannot do our work in an environment of constant harassment and threats. Without our work, there is no Twitter.

We, the workers at Twitter, will not be intimidated. We recommit to supporting the communities, organizations, and businesses who rely on Twitter. We will not stop serving the public conversation.

We call on Twitter management and Elon Musk to cease these negligent layoff threats. As workers, we deserve concrete commitments so we can continue to preserve the integrity of our platform.

We demand of current and future leadership:

Respect: We demand leadership to respect the platform and the workers who maintain it by committing to preserving the current headcount.

Safety: We demand that leadership does not discriminate against workers on the basis of their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs. We also demand safety for workers on visas, who will be forced to leave the country they work in if they are laid off.

Protection: We demand Elon Musk explicitly commit to preserve our benefits, those both listed in the merger agreement and not (e.g. remote work). We demand leadership to establish and ensure fair severance policies for all workers before and after any change in ownership.

Dignity: We demand transparent, prompt and thoughtful communication around our working conditions. We demand to be treated with dignity, and to not be treated as mere pawns in a game played by billionaires.

Sincerely,

Twitter workers

 

 

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