US Employers Spend Over $1.5 Billion a Year to Fight Union Efforts, Study Finds

U.S. employers spend more than $1.5 billion per year to fight labor unions by hiring union-avoidance consultants and law firms. A report estimates roughly $1.7 billion annually is spent to prevent workers from organizing and bargaining for better pay and working conditions. Unionization has risen to its highest level in 15 years, while nonunion workers face growing obstacles to joining unions. Large law firms have specialized in fighting unionization, including providing consultants to prevent union elections, encourage workers to vote against unions, and delay collective bargaining agreements. Firms such as Littler Mendelson, Morgan Lewis, and Jackson Lewis have represented employers in organizing disputes at companies including Amazon, Starbucks, and Trader Joe’s. The report says these firms use legal loopholes to add barriers and conceal their advising.

"A new report finds that U.S. employers spend more than $1.5 billion a year to fight labor unions, hiring union-avoidance consultants and lawyers to prevent worker organizing. The report, published jointly by the Economic Policy Institute and LaborLab on Wednesday, estimates that employers spend roughly $1.7 billion annually on union avoidance consultants and law firms to prevent workers "from organizing and bargaining for better pay and working conditions.""

"Though unionization in the U.S. has grown to its highest levels in 15 years, nonunion workers face mounting obstacles to joining a union. Over the past few decades, large law firms have developed business specialization in fighting unionization efforts, the report notes. This includes providing union avoidance consultants to employers to prevent union elections, push workers to vote against unions, and stall collective bargaining agreements."

"Firms like Littler Mendelson, Morgan Lewis, and Jackson Lewis have represented employers against workers' organizing efforts at Amazon, Starbucks, and Trader Joe's, to name only a few. "Union avoidance law firms have... constructed an industry providing counsel on union busting," the report says, adding that the firms take advantage of legal loopholes to add barriers to union organizing and to help conceal their advising of companies."

"The report found that in 2025, Amazon spent over $26.6 million on union avoidance consultants, while other companies spent between $400,000"

Read at Truthout