East Coast Labor Relations (d/b/a Reliant Labor Consultants) is based in Richland, MI. Joseph (Joe) Brock is the President. ECLR was incorporated in June 2020.
Key Takeaways
East Coast Labor Relations provides union avoidance services to employers. They advertise that their consultants are “former high ranking union officials” and that they are bilingual. The language on Reliant Labor Consulting’s website is identical. Their services include avoiding, preventing, and fighting a union. Additionally, they run Mayberry Productions that specializes in producing video content for union avoidance campaigns.
Brock was the President of Teamsters Local 830 in Philadelphia. Brock lost a contentious election for local President in 2007 and was ousted from the local Teamsters office. According to Brock, he left Teamsters because “he became disillusioned with what happens behind the scenes with unions, particularly when contracts are being negotiated”. Brock is still receiving his pension from the Teamsters.
Brock identifies as an “unabashed Liberal union buster.” That said, he “helped defeat a union campaign at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas in 2014.”
Brock resists the term “union-buster” and says his firm doesn’t “go in and lie to employees. We tell them that this could work out well for them. But it could also work out very poorly”. Brock says he encourages employers to treat their employees with respect, pay their workers fair wages, and give employees a say in their workplace to avoid a union campaign.
In 2023, East Coast Labor Relations made $735,503 from employers. East Coast Labor Relations and Reliant Labor Consulting charges $3,500/day/consultant, with some campaigns hiring four to eight subcontractors. Additionally, East Coast Labor Relations claims they have a 95% win rate compared to the average 60-70% of standard union busting firms.
In 2024, East Coast Labor Relations was hired by a variety of firms including SCR Medical Transportation, Labcorp Oregon, Innercare, Tower Health Pottstown, Tower Health Reading Hospital, and the Ritz Chicago.
On the Web
- “Former Teamster leader-turned-consultant Joe Brock on today’s workplace issues”, Labor Relations Radio, September 2023
- “How A Union Official Becomes A ‘Union Buster’”, HuffPost, September 2023
- “‘I’m a traitor, right?’ he said in an interview. ‘I’m not ashamed of it’”
- “Why is Worker Empowerment on the Rise?”, The Why, April 2022
- “Former Union Organizer: Joe Brock, Part 1”, YouTube, 2010
- “Joseph Brock, East Coast Labor Relations”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 2008
- “The Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company Files Unfair Labor Practice Charges”, Bevnet, April 2004
To request additional information, submit corrections, or provide supplementary information, please email [email protected].
The persuader industry is composed of firms and consultants hired by employers to obstruct worker unionization. “Persuaders,” as they are referred to by the U.S. Department of Labor, utilize a range of tactics to thwart union organizing efforts. These tactics include disseminating false and misleading information about unions and their potential impact on worker benefits. They may also employ intimidation tactics such as mandatory captive audience meetings where anti-union messages are delivered. Furthermore, persuaders may engage in surveillance, monitoring union activity and targeting pro-union employees, while also following workers, conducting one-on-one meetings, and collecting personal employee information that can be leveraged against organizing workers. The persuader industry presents a significant threat to the right of working people to collectively bargain for better working conditions.
The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) plays a pivotal role in protecting the right of workers to join together in unions. Specifically, Section 203 of the LMRDA establishes crucial reporting and record-keeping requirements for employers and labor relations consultants (i.e., “union-busters” or “persuaders”).
Under LMRDA Section 203, employers are mandated to report union-busting expenditures and activities. This includes expenditures aimed at interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of their collective bargaining rights. Additionally, any agreements or arrangements with third-party consultants, designed to persuade employees or obtain information related to labor disputes, must be reported. Similarly, labor relations consultants are obligated to report such agreements or arrangements with employers, including the terms of their agreements, fees, and detailed descriptions of all activities performed, such as meetings with employees, disseminating information, surveillance of union activities, and other efforts to influence employee unionization decisions. This information must be reported on Form LM-20 within 30 days.
The transparency introduced by Section 203 is fundamental to empowering workers. By disclosing information on anti-union campaigns managed by external entities, workers gain valuable insights. Armed with the knowledge that certain information sources are tied to efforts against unionization, workers can critically assess the messages directed at them.
Reporting Suspected Violations
Due to a lack of enforcement, some labor relations consultants may disregard the law and fail to report their activities to the U.S. Department of Labor. Therefore, it’s crucial for organizers and workers to report suspected “persuader” activity to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). You can reach them via email at [email protected], by calling (202) 693-0123, or by contacting your nearest OLMS District Office.
For assistance, please contact LaborLab at [email protected].
If you have any questions regarding the preceding information, please do not hesitate to email [email protected] and free additional resources for workers can be found at LaborLab.us/Resources
