New Coalition of Restaurant, Service Workers Speak Out Against Labor Unions

“The biggest myth about labor unions is that unions are for the workers. Unions are for unions, just as corporations are for corporations and politicians are for politicians,” Economist Thomas Sowell has said for years.

Unions are businesses that make lots of money for their officials by acting as a monopoly middleman for labor. They do not create value, but extract it from productive enterprises. Some workers are made better off in the short-term but others are worse off, and the long-term effects are almost uniformly bad, except for the union bigwigs, JohnLocke.org encapsulated.

The Center for Union Facts launched a first-of-its-kind coalition of young restaurant, retail, and service workers from across the country who say labor unions are wrong for their industries.

The worker testimonials feature employees from the restaurant and retail industries speaking out about their negative experiences with some of today’s most powerful labor unions. Each worker comes from a key industry targeted by Big Labor, including a Starbucks employee, a Trader Joe’s employee, and a veteran restaurant worker, who notably says the labor union is antithetical to merit-based restaurant work.

They share why unions are wrong for their workplace.

A new poll finds just 39% approve of union leadership. Polling including U.S. Chamber and Public Opinion Strategies, finds voters often want more worker choice, transparency on dues, easier decertification, and less automatic alignment with union political agendas. Many respondents draw a line between supporting workers and endorsing the priorities of national union leaders.

The Starbucks manager is based in San Diego, CA, and shares his first-hand experience with the labor union, and what made him sour on his store’s union.

“Workers United hasn’t had my best interests at heart,” said Joe Emmenegger (CA), Starbucks employee:

Their stories contradict conventional wisdom, which holds that young people are more pro-union than ever.

“It felt almost like a cult…either you agree with us, or you’re out.” Michael Alcorn, the Michigan Trader Joe’s employee:

“Unions promise so much…but ultimately they fail to deliver for workers,” said Joshua Chaisson, the Maine restaurant employee.

Julie Collier is a teacher in Oklahoma, and used to teach in Orange County. She explains how teachers unions are deteriorating the education system, and are failing kids. “Say NO to the teachers unions and YES to education,” Collier says.

Their accounts detail the sobering realities of dealing with the country’s most prominent labor unions, including Workers United (an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union) and UNITE HERE.

“So many workers find themselves stuck with a union they don’t want and didn’t vote for. When that happens, it can feel impossible to speak up,” said Charlyce Bozzello, communications director for the Center for Union Facts. “But these workers represent countless people across the country who have watched unions wreak havoc at their workplace. It’s time for their voices to be heard.”

“For many Americans, supporting workers doesn’t automatically mean supporting unions,” the US Chamber reported.

90% Oppose government-mandated union contracts without worker approval.

86% Agree workers should have ample time to understand how unionization could affect their jobs.

78% Believe a 20-day union campaign period is too short for workers to make informed decisions.

At a time when union favorability – especially among young people – appears to be at an all-time high, these testimonials give a voice to the rarely-represented workers who don’t believe a union is right for them.

The Center for Union Facts survey also provides context for the seeming rise of union favorability. A recent Gallup poll reported that 71% favor unions.

When respondents to CUF’s survey were given context on today’s labor unions – including information on recent corruption scandals that have plagued unions like the United Auto Workers – favorability dropped to 61%. Beyond that, when people were asked specifically about paid union presidents, favorability plummeted to 39%.

This underscores the idea that the public remains skeptical of the union bosses calling the shots in today’s labor movement. It is also in line with the recent Gallup findings that less than half of Americans want labor unions to have more influence.

To unions, workers are just the raw material used to create union power, just as iron ore is the raw material used by U.S. Steel and bauxite is the raw material used by the Aluminum Company of America.

“The data paints a clear picture: Americans support a pro-worker agenda built on choice, transparency, and freedom—not one that benefits union leadership, rushes important processes, or impedes on consent, the US Chamber said. “For lawmakers, the takeaway is simple. The best way to support workers is to empower them directly—not hand control to union bosses.”

Take a moment and watch their short testimonies here.

The Center for Union Facts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that fights for transparency and accountability in America’s labor movement.