LaborLab has filed a new complaint against Webasto regarding evasion of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), a law designed to protect the right of workers to organize and freely participate in union elections. The focus of this complaint is Webasto’s failure to file a 2023 LM-10 report, a requirement under federal labor laws, in connection to over $500,000 spent on anti-union activities with D&G Associates.
In 2023, Webasto disclosed significant spending on “persuader” activities—measures aimed at discouraging unionization—through an LM-10 report. This report detailed over $350,000 paid to LRI, one of the largest union-busting firms in the country, which further subcontracted $215,789 to three additional firms. Despite this disclosure, the company’s filings actually omitted the majority of Webasto’s union-busting expenses.
In April 2023, the United Auto Workers (UAW) filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a Webasto plant in Plymouth, Michigan. The UAW ultimately won the election, despite Webasto’s efforts to prevent it. Following the UAW’s victory, Webasto hired a different anti-union firm, D&G Associates, to continue its union-busting activities. According to LM-20 forms filed by D&G Associates, the firm was actively involved in anti-union campaigns at Webasto’s plants in both Plymouth, Michigan, and Lexington, Kentucky. These reports explicitly state that D&G was hired to prevent UAW Local 3000 from organizing employees at these locations.
D&G Associates filed an LM-21 annual report detailing payments received from various Webasto entities in 2023: $301,857 from Webasto Convertibles, $39,844 and additional amounts from Webasto Roofing Systems, and $62,547 from Webasto Sunroofs. These payments total $532,670.
Despite D&G Associates having reported these payments, Webasto has yet to file the required LM-10 form, detailing its financial transactions with the persuaders. LaborLab’s concern is not only with the unreported payments but also with the overall lack of transparency in Webasto’s efforts to suppress unionization efforts, particularly when federal law mandates such disclosures.
In addition to uncovering over half a million dollars in unreported union-busting by Webasto, LaborLab recently filed a complaint against Labor Consulting Group, a firm involved in union-busting efforts at Webasto’s Detroit facility. The complaint, filed last week, alleges that Labor Consulting Group has demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance with labor disclosure laws. Specifically, the firm failed to disclose essential information about its contract with Webasto in a union-avoidance campaign. While Labor Consulting Group eventually filed an LM-20 report after LaborLab’s intervention, it has notably refused to disclose the “terms and conditions” of its engagement with Webasto—a requirement under federal law.
This omission is particularly significant as it includes the amount the firm is being paid for its anti-union efforts. By law, union-busting consultants are required to be transparent about their compensation and the scope of their activities. LaborLab argues that the firm’s refusal to provide this information is a deliberate attempt to evade legal requirements. Despite referring to themselves as “experts” in their field, the consultants are concealing critically important details from both workers and the public.
LaborLab is calling for a thorough investigation by the OLMS to take immediate action to address both Webasto’s and Labor Consulting Group’s failure to comply with reporting requirements, as these practices undermine workers’ rights and public transparency.
