Union busting is a notorious part of American history. Union busting refers to companies attempting to discourage or interfere when workers organize to negotiate for higher wagers, better working conditions, and the like.
Amazon has been criticized for its alleged union busting activities in recent years.
Now a TikToker claims to have unearthed evidence of another massive American corporation's effort to discourage employees from forming or joining a union.
TikToker @nomoneymitch_ posted a video of an alleged Home Depot training video on Thursday. An onscreen caption reads: "I've reached the anti-union part of training here."
The video begins with a person informing another that they're "really happy working here" and their company is "really supportive whenever we have concerns." Then a woman in a Home Depot apron warns about attempts to encourage workers to join unions can happen anywhere.
"This interaction can occur at work, at home, or online. It is now okay for unions to go after your legally binding signature electronically. When you sign, you may be giving up your right to speak for yourself," she says.
The woman in the Home Depot apron continues:
"We believe that every associate can speak for themselves without having to pay their hard-earned money to a union in order to be listened to and have issues resolved. Once you sign, the authorization card is legally binding and it's hard to get back."
She then references a previous scene wherein a woman told another that a union helped her get better hours and pay.
"It is important to know that union representatives often make promises they cannot guarantee," she says as the clip concludes, adding that unions make money off initiation fees and dues, which is repeated in a caption onscreen.
The TikTok has nearly 70,000 views as of this writing. The Daily Dot reached out to @nomoneymitch_ via TikTok direct message, but they did not return a request for comment.
In an email to the Daily Dot, a Home Depot spokesperson reiterated the general gist of the video.
"We strive to create an environment where associates feel comfortable bringing issues directly to the Home Depot’s attention," the spokesperson said. "We don’t feel our associates need a third party to speak on their behalf."
They did not address a question about the video's authenticity.
@nomoneymitch_ captioned the video, "Some bullshit." Most reactions to the TikTok were similarly negative.
"I'm just saying a union never promised me a pizza party and then never did it," commented one.
Another pointed out: "The irony is the actor is in a union."
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