Union-busting

» What is union-busting?
Union-busting occurs when employers attempt to prevent employees from organizing or maintaining a union, using legal and illegal means. See "Facts and Frequently Asked Questions about Unionbusting" from American Rights At Work.

» How common is union-busting?
Very common. A worker is fired or penalized for supporting a union every 23 minutes in the United States (based on National Labor Relations Board's Annual Report 1993-2003). When 75 percent of employers face union organizing efforts, they hire anti-union consultants to help stop the union (based on this report for the US Trade Deficit Review Commission).

» Does union-busting happen at universities and colleges?
Absolutely yes. Here's just one example: When workers began organizing at the University of Miami in 2005, UM administrators allowed the contractor UNICCO to place magnets advertising UNICCO's anti-union website on the vans and trucks that workers operated around the campus.

» Examples of union-busting "consultants":
The Burke Group - Offers "Union Free strategies & trainings." Read a report on the Burke Group's practices here.
Industrial Relations Consultants - Advertises, "We've been keeping companies union free for over 30 years."
Modern Industrial Services - Provides scab workers to replace striking workers.