It’s understandable that people are afraid of union busting. Having been there myself, it feels like you’re David going up against Goliath when you start out, and that’s ok! You have to remember that they want you afraid, because if you’re afraid then you can be manipulated by the company. The type of union busting people are most afraid of: namely workplace closure and firing organizers, is rare and illegal. Illegal union busting is also not very successful once challenged with the NLRB, they see through most of the lies.

Companies are good at union busting because every single thing the company will do in opposing your union is going to be framed as being “neutral” while every single sentence is going to be about why unions are “scary”. You have to prepare yourself and your coworkers for the boss’ campaign with inoculation, and that’s where CWA’s union busting playbook will be helpful.

I live in Minnesota so I never had the chance to shut down a captive audience meeting (they’re illegal here), but the best way to shut it down is to get confrontational. Here’s some of my favorite questions for union busters

• Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr once said that union organizers are doing the Lord’s work. Are you saying that he’s wrong?
• So what you’re saying is that you, a contracted management consultant, were hired as an outsider to tell us that unions are a 3rd party?
• How much is the company paying you for reading this script to us?
• Wouldn’t the company be better served raising our wages and benefits rather than wasting money to tell us their opinions?