Complaint Filed Against Mozilla for Refusing to Hire Apple Activist

The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint alleging Mozilla Corp. refused to hire a former Apple Inc. employee worker because of her past labor activism.

The agency’s prosecutors called on Mozilla to offer Cher Scarlett the position she applied for in 2021 or a similar role, and to otherwise make her whole for damages as a result of not being hired. (REUTERS)

The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint alleging Mozilla Corp. refused to hire a former Apple Inc. employee worker because of her past labor activism. 

The agency's prosecutors called on Mozilla to offer Cher Scarlett the position she applied for in 2021 or a similar role, and to otherwise make her whole for damages as a result of not being hired. Scarlett and her lawyer, Laurie Burgess, believe the case has the potential to defuse one of the most powerful factors chilling workplace activism in Silicon Valley: the fear of being blacklisted.

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When Scarlett began speaking up about labor issues at Apple, she knew she was at risk of losing her software engineering job, but was confident she could find another.

Yet two years after her departure from the iPhone maker, Scarlett says she has struggled to secure employment, lending credence to fears among many tech workers about the consequences of whistleblowing. Scarlett was feeling optimistic after she had an interview at Mozilla in 2021, which left her with the impression that she was the company's first choice for a job. Ultimately, though, the process went nowhere.

“Watching people not be able to get a job in their field, that is far worse than the threat of losing the job you have,” Scarlett said. 

Mozilla and Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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