GoKawiilThe workers’ rights watchdog LaborLab launched tools today that give workers greater visibility into who their employers are hiring to fight their union efforts—and what they’re willing to spend. When employees dare to organize their workplace, a $1.7 billion industry of consultants and law firms springs into action. According to the Labor Department, something like 75% of employers enlist union avoidance consultants to quash union efforts. Some of them, including major companies like Amazon and 3M, spend many millions of dollars on those consultants, who can also double as legal representation—while the law firms that have made a business out of fighting unions reportedly earn millions of dollars for their work with employers.
This ‘union-busting’ calculator arms workers with information
Why This Matters
LaborLab's new tools bring transparency to a $1.7 billion union-avoidance consulting industry that most employers—reportedly around 75%—tap when workers organize. By surfacing who companies hire and what they spend, the calculator shifts an information advantage that has long favored employers, including large firms like Amazon and 3M. For tech workers weighing organizing efforts, it makes the hidden costs and tactics of anti-union campaigns visible.
Key Takeaways
- LaborLab launched tools showing workers which consultants and law firms their employers hire to fight unions, and how much they spend.
- The Labor Department estimates roughly 75% of employers use union avoidance consultants, an industry worth about $1.7 billion.
- Major companies including Amazon and 3M have spent millions on these consultants, who often double as legal counsel.
Worth a Look
A Collective Bargain" by Jane McAlevey — If LaborLab's new transparency tools got you curious about how organizing actually works, Jane McAlevey's A Collective Bargain is the natural companion read. It walks through real union campaigns and the tactics employers and their consultants use to push back, giving workers the context behind the numbers.
See A Collective Bargain" by Jane McAlevey on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Get alerts for these topics