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Inside the multimillion-dollar union busting industry

On this edition of Your Call's Media Roundtable, we discuss a recent HuffPost five-part series on the anti-union consulting industry.

Every week, employers hire labor consultants to prevent their workers from organizing. Known legally as “persuaders,” these consultants play a crucial role in keeping US union membership near a historic low. Amazon alone spent more than $14 million on consultants last year in an effort to defeat organizing campaigns in its warehouses.

Interest in unionization has risen around the country in the last few years. One in 10 workers in the US is a member of a union. The number of unionized workers grew by approximately 200,000 in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What do we need to know about the multimillion-dollar anti-union industry? How do anti-union campaigns impact workers?

Guest:

Dave Jamieson, award-winning labor reporter for HuffPost

Web Resources:

HuffPost: The Persuaders

The Guardian: Will Starbucks’ union-busting stifle a union rebirth in the US?

HuffPost: Biden Appointees Just Made It Easier For Workers To Form Unions

Malihe Razazan is the senior producer of KALW's daily call-in program, Your Call.
Rose Aguilar has been the host of Your Call since 2006. She became a regular media roundtable guest in 2001. In 2019, the San Francisco Press Club named Your Call the best public affairs program. In 2017, The Nation named it the most valuable local radio show.