H.R. 5178 is a bill that would severely restrict the ability of unions to organize workers from within companies. U.S. Rep. Rick W. Allen (R-Georgia), founder of the RW Allen Construction company that operates in seven southeastern states, introduced the legislation Sept. 7.

The “Truth in Employment Act of 2021” takes aim at an effective union-organizing tactic known as “salting.” An organizer, or “salt,” obtains a job with a non-union employer and then educates co-workers about the benefits of forming a union. The method has been necessary and useful for numerous reasons. Under various laws in the United States, union representatives are prohibited from talking with employees at some work sites. Salting gives organizers access to employees at such sites. By working alongside employees, salts also gain an understanding of labor concerns at each worksite and how a union could best serve those employees.

H.R. 5178 would amend the National Labor Relations Act to state that the act does not require employers to employ “any person who seeks or has sought employment with the employer in furtherance of other employment or agency status.” The Associated Builders and Contractors, a powerful anti-union organization, is supporting the bill.

Learn more: https://southernstatesmillwrights.org/2021/09/proposed-federal-bill-would-restrict-union-organizing-efforts/