Congressman Dan Goldman Fights to End Corporate Handouts for Union-Busting Companies
The ‘No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act’ Would End Taxpayer Subsidies for Anti-Union Activities
Corporations Spend $340 Million Annually on Union-Busting Campaigns, All Currently Tax-Deductible
Read the Bill Here
Washington D.C. - Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01), and Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28) in introducing the ‘No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act.’ This legislation would classify corporate interference in worker organization campaigns as political speech under the tax code making any money spent in these efforts non-tax deductible.
“For far too long, corporations have been operating with a pair of loaded dice, abusing a system that consistently rewards them for anti-worker practices,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “At the turn of the 20th century, American unions created the middle class and ushered in an unprecedented era of economic prosperity – any attempt to suppress workers’ right to collectively organize and bargain is plainly un-American and must not be rewarded by our tax code.”
The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act also establishes an IRS reporting requirement for employers who intervene in protected labor activities, and the consultants they employ. Only a small amount of this activity is even reported currently, but that portion amounts to $340 million annually, according to a recent report.
Common anti-worker interventions that are currently tax deductible include so-called “captive audience meetings,” where employers hold mandatory meetings during work hours and pressure workers against voting for unionization; hiring expensive “union avoidance” firms to lead union-busting campaigns; threatening to withhold benefits from pro-union workers; firing pro-union workers; and closing workplaces that appear to be pro-union or that have recently voted to form a union.
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935 makes it the official policy of the United States government to encourage collective bargaining and protect workers’ freedom of association.
Throughout his first term, Congressman Dan Goldman has been focused on protecting and uplifting American labor as the foundation of the country’s middle class. Earlier this year, the Congressman cosponsored the ‘No Tax breaks for Outsourcing Act’ to end Trump-era tax breaks that incentivize corporations to ship jobs overseas, harming domestic small businesses and American workers.
The Congressman also cosponsored the ‘Tax Fairness for Workers Act’ to restore middle-class tax deductions including job search expenses, travel expenses, out-of-pocket cost of uniforms and tools, and union dues. This legislation would reverse a provision in the 2017 Trump tax reform package that stripped workers of their ability to deduct common expenses incurred as a result of their work.
Last month, Congressman Goldman announced his membership in the Congressional Labor Caucus where he joins his colleagues in the effort to expand worker protections and pass legislation to strengthen the American labor movement.
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