On April 11, CDW sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives urging them to support the Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act, which would amend the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act to require labor organizations register “salts” with the Department of Labor.

The following can be attributed to CDW Chair Kristen Swearingen:

“The use of salts is an inherently coercive tactic that unions use to trick workers into supporting unionization. Salts obtain jobs in a nonunionized workplace, destabilize labor-management relations, and then urge unionization on the workers. Salts are under no obligation to tell their colleagues what their true intentions are, misleading workers and violating their right to know who is trying to persuade them. Just look to the recent Starbucks organizing campaign for proof that workers do not appreciate being misled.

“Under the LMRDA, employers are required to report when they hire consultants to speak with employees about organizing, but the law is completely silent on unions’ use of salts, a practice that relies on misleading and deceiving workers.

“The SALT Act is much-needed legislation that would ensure workers have full transparency on who is trying to coerce or persuade them during union organizing drives. CDW urges Congress to support the SALT Act to protect workers, guarantee transparency, and ensure labor stability.”