Workers Wanted A Union. Then The Mysterious Men Showed Up.

[Omaha Steve]

How a pair of “union avoidance” consultants using fake names turned a small Midwestern workplace upside down.

by Dave Jamieson July 24, 2023

Early last year, the president of a small manufacturing company in Missouri received a cold call from a man who went by the name of Jack Black. Workers at the company, called Motor Appliance Corp., or MAC, had just asked to hold a union election. Jack Black specialized in “union avoidance.” He wanted to offer his services.

Jack Black’s firm has brought in millions of dollars over the years by providing employers with “persuaders,” or, to use unions’ less charitable term, “union busters” — consultants who try to convince workers not to organize. Persuader work is big business these days. The number of union elections in the U.S. has surged amid an organizing wave over the last two years. Employers are now paying upwards of $3,000 a day, plus expenses, for each persuader. Amazon alone dished out more than $14 million to consultants last year.

But more often the employer is a little-known firm like MAC, which produces electric motors and battery chargers. The consulting work at MAC ultimately led to employee resignations and a hearing before the NLRB that shed new light on the opaque world of persuaders. This story is based primarily on testimony from that hearing, which was obtained through a public records request.

“We are a small company,” MAC’s Ballman said. “I felt that we needed some help on something that we knew virtually nothing about. We needed to do things right.”

FULL story: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/workers-wanted-a-union-then-the-mysterious-men-showed-up_n_64b7dd60e4b0dcb4cab68347

[Faux pas]

1. DISGUSTIPATING

[Duncanpup]

2. Evil

[Auggie]

3. I had a family member who was a union buster ...

owned the company. He was supportive of the family, especially the elderly, but at work was one powerful and scary dude.

On edit: did on a Google dive on my relation. The family never knew the details of his business. It's a horror story. The threats to union organizers and the dismissals, the hiring of "permanent part-time workers" (who were hired simply to vote anti-union) under-handed tactics, lies, doctored documents, etc.

The kicker: when his tactics were brought to court and sued as unfair labor practices, it was his client -- the company who hired him -- who paid all legal fees and fines.

His father was a staunch union man, too. He worked for unionized railroads -- money that sent his son to law school.

[erronis]

5. That's a powerful tale, Auggie. Thank you.

Union busters of today are the same as the goons that attacked workers 50-100 years ago. Maybe a few different tactics but the same evil intent. And financed as always by the filthy rich.

[Auggie]

6. He retired with millions of dollars

Aside from the lawsuits, probable work-related stress, odious reputation and the hatred of tens of thousands of blue collar laborers ... he got off easy.

[appalachiablue]

7. Interesting story, tx. There was a lot of that in back then and the thugs are still at it.

[regnaD kciN]

4. I would say "unbelievably vile"...

…but it’s all-too-believable nowadays.