Illegal activities of Southern Bosses for the weeks between Friday, March 14, and Friday, March 21
There continues to be no new enforcement actions or resolutions of enforcement actions at the EEOC, OSHA, MSHA, and DOL.
Union Busters
Brought to you by LaborLab: The nation’s leading watchdog standing with working families to stop employer coercion and intimidation. Visit www.laborlab.us for more info.
Here’s LaborLab’s press release on union busting during the union election at an Amazon warehouse in North Carolina last month:
Last month, a worker-led organizing effort at an Amazon facility in North Carolina, the RDU1 facility, was suppressed through a vicious union-busting campaign helmed by anti-union ‘persuaders’ from RoadWarrior Productions. This interference resulted in a loss for the Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (CAUSE).
Amazon paid RoadWarrior Productions upwards of $366,000 for their union-busting services over about a month-long period – money that should have gone into the pockets of workers organizing for appropriate wages, safe working conditions, and freedom from exploitation. Crucially, LaborLab, a national employer watchdog, discovered that RoadWarrior Productions delayed filing mandatory disclosures of their compensation and contract until after the election, ignoring clear legal requirements. What appears to be a deliberate delay denied workers in North Carolina critical information about the financial resources being used to suppress their union, potentially impacting the election outcome.
RoadWarrior Productions has a number of concerning right-wing ties. The Heritage Foundation–the very organization responsible in large part for the drafting of Project 2025–lists RoadWarrior Productions as a professional associate. RWP Labor President Russ Brown was the former President of the Center for Independent Employees, a non-profit “legal defense foundation that provides free legal representation and aid to independent employees who are opposed to union oppression in their workplaces”. The company raked in over $1,000,000 in 2023.
Upon reviewing filings for this engagement at the RDU1 facility, LaborLab has determined the RWP Labor has potentially violated several federal filing requirements set out by the Department of Labor. They failed to file documentation for their engagement at Amazon within the required 30 days, and they did not provide the required employer identification numbers for themselves, their subcontractors, or their employers. This information, delivered in a timely fashion, is crucial in order to project workers’ legal right to organize.
Here are the new filings from union busters:
- Montefiore Nyack Hospital (NY) hired the Crossroads Group Labor Relations Consultants for $450/hour
- Election open
- Michael D. Penn is the President and Partner of Crossroads Group Labor Relations Consultants. Penn was a former Teamsters union organizer. In 2010, The Crossroads Group was found to have committed unfair labor practices during an election campaign. According to the Board decision, Penn threatened to sue an employee for defamation based on his comments in a union newsletter article. In another campaign at the National Benefits Center, Penn “told workers that ‘you’re going to sign your life away if you sign a union card … the union would tell you to go out on strike … the place could close down’. In 2008 on a campaign at Jensen Enterprises, Penn told employees they would lose their benefits if they voted for a union. In a different campaign, Penn told employees that they would see a “loss of their regularly scheduled annual wage increases if they selected the Union as their collective bargaining representative”. Michael Penn is the Chair of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County. Penn has consistently donated to the foundation annually between $1,000 and $3,000. He has also donated to Barack Obama and John Edwards.
- Amazon DMH9 (MA) hired Edward Hinkle via RoadWarrior Productions for $2,500/day
- Sunshine Disposal (WA) hired Labor Advisors; no compensation provided
- The LCP Group, L.P. (NY) hired Solutions Labor Relations Consultants; no compensation provided
- Amazon DDE9 (CO) hired RoadWarrior Productions for $2,000/day
- Parexel (NC) hired Labor Advisors; no compensation provided
- ONNI/Emily Management (IL) hired ICWE for $400/day
- The Bricton Group/Renaissance Chicago (IL) hired LRI Consulting Services for $425/hour
- PetSmart, Inc. (MI) hired LRI Consulting Services for $425/hour
Here are some filings that were amended last week:
- EVGV added their compensation rate of $250/hour for union-busting at Amazon (GA)
- C Hunt Management Consulting add their compensation rate of $400/hour for union-busting at UnityPoint Health (IA)
Due to a lack of enforcement, some labor relations consultants may disregard the law and fail to report their activities to the U.S. Department of Labor. Therefore, it’s crucial for organizers and workers to report suspected “persuader” activity to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS).
It’s crucial for organizers and workers to report suspected “persuader” activity to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). You can reach them via email at OLMS-Public@dol.gov, by calling (202) 693-0123, or by contacting your nearest OLMS District Office.
For assistance, please contact LaborLab at contact@laborlab.us.