Amid rising labor organizing, local efforts to outlaw captive audience meetings will likely expand.
by Michael Arria, Truthout
In May 2022, an employee at a Target store in Christiansburg, Virginia, leaked audio from a meeting that store employees were forced to attend.
Workers had been trying to organize a union at the store since 2019. In the recorded meeting, which was mandatory, the store managers assembled to tell the staff that they didn’t have to support the union. One manager claimed that joining a union could end up costing everyone $500 a month. “I think right now, especially as times are tight.… I’d definitely check that this is the best decision for yourselves,” he told the staff. “The other thing too is if you say, ‘I don’t want to be part of a union. I want to do my own thing. I want to represent myself’… if the vote comes back 51 percent you’ll lose all that. You’ll have to pay the dues, you’ll have to pay initiation fees as part of that situation.”
When a Target employee (and member of the organizing committee) informed the manager that the information he shared was inaccurate and workers could end up paying as little as $6 a month to be part of a union, management promptly ended the meeting.
What happened at that Target is called a captive audience meeting, and it’s a consistent staple of employer union-busting efforts. According to a study by the Economic Policy Institute, nearly 90 percent of companies conduct captive audience meetings when confronted with a unionization campaign — and the data shows there’s a direct correlation between the meetings and whether the union prevails in their election.
Recent Posts
‘A Day Without Immigrants’: Protests Against Trump’s Mass Deportation Plans Across U.S.
Take Action Now “D.C. depends deeply on immigrants, who work vital jobs in our local economy, pay taxes, and make the city a vibrant place to…
Fed Employee Unions Sue Over Musk’s Government Takeover
Take Action Now“It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has allowed unelected billionaires and their lackeys unfettered access to…
Trump’s Energy Pick Wants To Export Climate Destruction
Take Action NowChris Wright turns a real issue into a neat talking point for the destruction of the planet.By Gabriel Colburn, Foreign…
On Solidarity, Love, and Jewish Anti-Zionist Organizing, a Zero Hour Conversation with Rebecca Vilkomerson
Take Action Now The book and interview underscore the importance of long-term organizing, solidarity, and creating spaces for political and spiritual…