Amazon spends millions of dollars each year in an attempt to erode workers rights and combat efforts by the Teamsters to unionize.
U.S. employers spend about $1.7 billion per year on union busting efforts, according to a report published by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Much of the money is spent on consultants and law firms that specialize in preventing workers from organizing and bargaining for improved pay and working conditions.
One of the top offenders is Amazon, which spent over $26.6 million to erode the rights of American workers and derail unionization efforts by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
The nationwide decline in union membership over the past several decades can be attributed in large part to the role of these union-avoidance law firms and consultants. Union density in the U.S. is now at 10%, compared with 20.3% in 1983. Despite this decline, organizing has been on an upswing and Gallup polls report nearly 70% of Americans approve of labor unions.
“All this union busting is actually fueling worker militancy across America,” according to a post at the Teamster Substack Just Cause. “Every day, more and more Amazon workers are speaking with, rallying alongside of, and signing up to become Teamsters.”
According to EPI, part of the union-busting effort includes exploiting the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) administrative processes and creating nearly endless delays for workers who are trying to form a union. The Teamsters are fighting back through the Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA), which is gaining momentum in the House of Representatives. If signed into law, FLCA would require employers to start bargaining with workers within 10 days of their union vote being certified. If they don’t reach a contract within 90 days, the union can request binding federal mediation. And if there’s still no deal after 30 days of mediation, the mediators impose terms of a contract.
Teamsters photos
