Union Busting 101

What is union busting?

Union busting is the term for tactics used by the management or administration of a company or
workplace to prevent the formation of or otherwise weaken a union.
Why bust unions?
There are many reasons the management of a company or workplace would have interest in
weakening unions. Employers often see unions as unprofitable because unions push for wage
and benefits increases. With unions, workers have an autonomous voice in their workplace and
can participate directly in making decisions related to the job, wages, and working conditions
(shared governance); sometimes, employers would rather not give up autonomy in decisionmaking and would prefer to have complete control over how the workplace is run and how the
workers are treated. Often, companies or employers will even hire union busting consulting firms
to prevent the formation of a union.
What are some anti-union tactics?
1. Confusion: Employers can spread misinformation or rumors related to union activity
(including forming a union, participating in a contract campaign, or concerted union
activities like pushing a petition or administering a workplace survey) with the intention of
preventing workers from getting involved. It is important to fact-check anything you hear
coming from the management or administration related to the union or union activities,
since they are not in the union and therefore might not be privy to union-related
information.
2. Divide and Conquer: To weaken unions, employers can try to turn people against each
other either individuals within a union or union vs union conflict. Some tactics include:
starting rumors about whos a snitch; forming special relationships with some employees
and playing pro-union and anti-union individuals against each other; or having people
report on others arrival/departure times (between departments or between unions).
3. Making Promises: As a way of discouraging people from getting involved in their union,
an employer may make promises to certain individuals in exchange for refraining from
union participation. It is ILLEGAL to promise wage or benefit increases, promotions, or any
future benefit to employees for opposing the union or refraining from union activity. If you
witness any such practice, CONTACT YOUR UNION.
4. Playing Nice: One common anti-union tactic is disguised in a nice shell an employer
may have a sudden increase in kind gestures (thanking people for their work, handing out
candy or goodie bags, calling people into meetings and asking if theres anything they can
do to help them) that werent being given before the union activity started. These things
arent bad per se, but should simply be considered within the context of a larger anti-union
strategy.
5. Spying: An employer may try to instruct employees to report union activities to them. It is
ILLEGAL for an employer to have employees report on union meetings or otherwise
conduct surveillance on union activities, both during work time and non-work time, on and
off the premises. If you witness any such practice, CONTACT YOUR UNION.
6. Scare Tactics: Fear is a favorite of all the tools in an employers union-busting belt.
a. Interrogation/one-on-one meetings: An employer may attempt to interrogate an
employee about union activity, whether or not they signed a union card, if they
attended a meeting, etc. Remember that this activity is ILLEGAL! An employer
CANNOT interfere with your attending a union meeting this includes asking about
meetings or making statements such as I know you are attending those union
meetings.
b. Captive audience meetings: An employer may call all workers, on work time, into a
captive audience meeting to give an anti-union speech or question workers. Keep
in mind why an employer might do this and the intentions behind it.

c. Threats/Retaliation: An employer may in some way threaten individuals

participating in union activities with reprisals such as reducing employee benefits,
firing an employee, or retaliation of any kind retaliation can even include
transferring employees, demoting them, laying them off, or assigning employees
more difficult work tasks. Remember that retaliation of employees for participation
in union activities is ILLEGAL UNDER FEDERAL LAW in accordance with the
National Labor Relations Act, and if you witness any such activity, CONTACT YOUR
UNION IMMEDIATELY.