According to reporting byJacob Bogage in the Washington Post, Starbucks violated federal labor law in "egregious and widespread" ways while attempting to suppress union organizing drives, an NLRB judge ruled. Starbucks was ordered to reopen closed locations and pay back wages and damages to workers who are organizing unions at the company.

Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) continued to fight its workers’ federal right to unionize today when it filed a challenge to the National Labor Relations Board’s February 13 decision granting SEACC United a formal union election.

findhelp is an Austin-based tech company dedicated to connecting those in need with social welfare services, but that's not stopping it from union busting.

Here's what you need to know:

• On its website, findhelp says it's all about connecting "people to the help they need with dignity and ease." When it comes to its own employees, it's a different story.
• findhelp has reportedly hired Spartan Solutions, a union busting firm with a "proven strategy guaranteeing your company is never left exposed..." whatever that means. 

During this year's State of the Union address to Congress, President Joe Biden said that he's "sick and tired" of union busting. He then called on Congress to pass the PRO Act. Obviously, we agree. However, if the Biden Administration really wants to tackle union busting, it can start right away and without the help of a dysfunctional Congress. 

This week, the LaborLab filed a complaint with the Office of Labor Management Standards regarding Derek Arrington. Under Section 504 of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), labor relations consultants are barred from meeting with workers for thirteen years following a criminal conviction. Arrington appears to be violating this law and meeting directly with workers in an attempt to persuade them against forming unions.

A California Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) Judge has issued a decision blasting the University of California (UC) for multiple violations of state labor law by sending mass communications that interfered with California public sector workers’ rights to form or join a union. In an extremely rare move, the judge also ordered the University of California to pay Teamsters Local 2010’s legal fees, finding the violations to be intentional and egregious.

This week’s union buster filings call our attention to Ronn English, an independent contractor with links to Kulture and TAG. As this LM-20 shows, TAG is most likely an acronym for The Alton Group, English’s own company. Using different acronyms and name variations on different forms is a common tactic of union busters to intentionally confuse. Also, according to this LM-20, Kulture paid English $300/hour in July 2020. For those who don’t remember Kulture, refer to John See’s reporting on Peter List and the QAnon affiliated union busting firm. Case documents even reveal English mocking an NLRB proceeding.

Under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), union-busting consultants (also referred to as “union avoidance consultants” and “labor relations consultants”) must disclose to the U.S. Department of Labor when they’ve been hired by an employer to directly or indirectly persuade workers against forming a union. They must do so within 30 days on a Form LM-20. Less than 20% of union busters comply with this rule. In fact, the number is likely even lower - much lower.

Just exactly who are these union busters?

Surprisingly, there is a lot of information to be gleaned from Form LM-20 about the individuals who plan and run captive audience meetings, follow employees around the workplace asking questions, and otherwise “persuading.”