WXVU MAINLINE NEWS MINUTE FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 6

By: Gabriella Raful

Tax breaks for companies that engage in what sometimes are illegal union-busting tactics could be prohibited by new federal legislation. Labor groups, including in Pennsylvania, contend that companies hire consultants who threaten workers with termination for exercising their right to unionize – then claim the cost of those consultants as a tax deduction. According to Elena Lopez with the Communications Workers of America, this means people are organizing for better pay and working conditions, but taxpayers are subsidizing efforts to stop them.

:16  “Companies are actively breaking the law, and they’ll be rewarded for breaking the law. And so, we want to make sure that companies stop their anti-union behavior. This is only one piece of the puzzle, but we think it’s an important piece to solve so that workers can join a union if they want to.”

Lopez points out that workers don’t get a tax break for their union dues, and thinks companies’ anti-union campaigns should also be classified as non-tax-deductible – the same as lobbying or corporate political speech.