Unlawful:

U.S. employers are charged with violating federal labor law in 41.5% of all union election campaigns

Written by Celine McNicholas, Margaret Poydock, Julia Wolfe, Ben Zipperer, Gordon Lafer, and Lola Loustaunau

This report provides a comprehensive survey of employers’ illegal tactics used to deny workers their legal right to collective bargaining.  A $340-million-a-year industry of “union avoidance” consultants instructs employers in how to stymie organizing efforts.  Because federal labor law provides such weak penalties, employers violate the law with near impunity.  Across the country, this report documents that employers break the law by illegally threatening, intimidating or spying on pro-union workers in more than 40% of all union election campaigns.  This rampant illegal activity is one of the major reasons why so few American workers succeed in organizing their workplaces, and why so many Americans’ wages remain low even when corporate profits and executive salaries may be skyrocketing.