The core of the union-busting business is a sales pitch that convinces employers that they do not want to see their workers organized, and legal and communications expertise that shows employers how to bust a union.  Union-busters frighten their clients with tales of companies allegedly run into the ground by union greed, and argue that employers shouldn't have to tolerate a "third party" or outside agent in the workplace.

However, unionization is frequently a net benefit for an employer.  Unionization could be a way to attract a higher caliber of workers, increase productivity, decrease employee turnover, improve the community spirit in the workplace, and otherwise improve workplace conditions and the company's overall health.  Indeed, some unions, like SEIU and the Teamsters, have developed friendly and symbiotic relationships with the companies whose workers they represent, like Kaiser Permanente and UPS, respectively.

Of course, union-busters do not discuss this aspect of unionization with their clients.  Indeed, no one really tries to present this case to managers and business owners.  While unions and labor-friendly organizations like American Rights at Work go to great lengths to publicize the ugly face of union-busting, the benefits of unionization to workers, and the ways that unionization can improve the health of a company, few organizations attempt to target people who might be tempted to engage in union-busting specifically.  As a result, managers and business owners are unlikely to get a positive picture of unionization, and are more likely to engage in union-busting.

I ran a little experiment this weekend with Google, and tried to put myself into the shoes of a business owner who might be interested in union avoidance.  I searched for keywords like "union avoidance", "union free", "union vote no", "Jackson Lewis" and "The Burke Group" (the last two are prominent union-busting firms), and paid attention to the ads which popped up on the right.  While there were plenty of ads for union-busting firms and anti-union websites like www.unionfreeamerica.com, www.proudtobeunionfree.com, and so on, there wasn't a single ad trying to make the opposite case, that unionization could be helpful to someone running a business.

I think there is a real opportunity here for a liberal entrepreneur, to start a union cooperation firm.  Accoding to The Union Avoidance Industry in the United States (PDF), union-busters are paid anywhere between tens of thousands, and several millions of dollars to help run an anti-union campaign.  An entrepreneur who can figure out how to encourage employers not to hire a union-buster, and who can help an employer work productively and cooperatively with a union, could earn a lot of money while strengthening the labor movement considerably.  Moreover, such an entrepreneur could become a neutral third party to an organizing or contracting campaign, helping guide the employer through the experience without leaving bad feelings among the workers.

Undoubtedly, this is a tall order, but I think a sufficiently crafty labor-friendly entrepreneur could turn this idea into a very lucrative business, and could help turn back the anti-union tide.  I'd love to hear your thoughts - is this an absolutely nutty idea, or one worth kicking around and eventually launching?