What is Union Busting?

Adapted from the Colectivo Workers Unite Website.

Know The Truth!

When management starts conducting captive audience meetings, it is usually at the request of their “Union Busters.” Management’s “Union Busters” could be outside firms or internal “Labor Specialists” or a combination of both.

“Union Busting” is a 2 billion dollar a year industry. And s long as employees continue to be mistreated by their employers and try to form a union, “Union Busters” will exist. “Union Busters” need employees like you! If all employees were happy or belonged to a union, what would all the un-employed “Union Busters” do? It makes you wonder why employers will spend any amount of money and do whatever it takes to keep you from forming a union. Keep in mind “Union Bustrers” charge $750-$2000 per day plus expenses.

WHAT IS A UNION BUSTER?

A union buster is a firm or individual hired by an employer to thwart a union organizing drive by employees.

WHY DO COMPANIES HIRE UNION BUSTERS?

One simple word: control. With a union, employers lose the ability to totally control the workforce, since employees collectively gain rights with a union.

WHY DON’T WE HEAR ABOUT THE UNION BUSTER?

This is one of the ways a union buster operates – behind the scenes. If you get letters signed by management that imply bad things happening with a union, you can bet that letter was written by a union buster. Also, if a union buster is engaged in direct dealing with employees, the union buster has to file financial reports with the U.S. Department of Labor. Employers do not want public knowledge of the money they pay to union busters.

HOW DOES THE UNION BUSTER OPERATE?

A union buster seeks to achieve two things. First, they try to create fear, division and confusion among employees during an organizing campaign. Second, they spread misinformation and half-truths about the union before an NLRB election.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TACTICS USED BY THE UNION BUSTER?

Use of Supervisors – Supervisors are the employer’s de-organizing committee in the workplace. Supervisors are made to feel personally responsible if the employees in their department vote union. Since in most unorganized companies, employees have limited knowldge of how unions work, the union buster puts fear into the supervisor by implying that his/her job will be impossible with a union, and if they don’t do everything possible to keep the union out, their job may be in jeopardy.

Captive Audience Meetings – A union buster will have the employer meet with large groups of employees to discredit the union and create fear of the unknown. Sometimes there will be plants in the meetings asking questions prepared in advance by the union buster to show misinformation about the union.

Division – The union buster will make employees feel that there is a tense division among employees concerning the union election. Employees will be led to believe that this tension will continue forever if a union is chosen by the employees.

One-on-One Meetings – The union buster will have supervisors meet with employees one-on-one to seek out their union sentiments. The supervisors have the job of convincing employees that the union will be bad for the company.

Shadowing – A union buster will target employees who they know they can sway against the union. The union buster will then have supervisors shadowing or constantly overseeing that employee to cause fear in that employee about his or her job.

Delay – A union buster will delay the NLRB election by legal maneuvers as long as possible. These tactics include contesting the voting unit sought by the employees, unwillingness to schedule a quick hearing, delay in giving the union the required list of employees until forced to, and opposing any settlement offered by the employees and their union. The union buster knows that the longer he can delay the election, the greater chance that he can place fear in employees, and can win the election for the employer.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THE UNION BUSTER’S TACTICS?

Remember, the union buster plays off of an employee’s lack of knowledge about a union. Employees can do several things to counter the union buster:

Ask the company if they have hired a union buster – Ask the employer’s representative whether they have hired a “consultant” to work for them to “educate” employees about the union. Ask the employer how much they are paying the consultant. Employers don’t want you to know that they have hired someone to interfere with your rights to organize a union, and you will make them nervous if they have to answer this question. (Most union busters charge anywhere from $750 to $2,000 per day plus expenses for their services).

Document – Have as many employees as possible document everything that a supervisor or manager says to employees, whether to a group of employees or to an individual employee. A union buster will often violate the law in what they say about the union.

Ask questions – If a supervisor makes an implied threat, ask the supervisor or manager point blank what he or she is trying to say. The employer cannot legally make direct threats to employees about union organization.

Ask for the information the union buster presents in writing – Remember, the general, vague information that supervisors and managers are giving you comes directly from the union buster. Ask management for the information that they are presenting to you in writing.

Protect and support each other – If a supervisor is shadowing an employee, band together for support. A union buster can only be effective in creating fear if the employees let him. If employees stand up to the union busters, they cannot be effective.

Ask PSEA – If you have questions about what the union buster is having management say, contact Matt Edgell at PSEA for answers: medgell@psea.org.